A couple of weeks ago, my former professor from Lee University came to visit some students who are doing an internship in Cambodia. We all met for dinner, and my professor asked me which aspects of Thai culture I have bought into and which ones I haven't. I had a hard time answering him right there because I don't always think quickly on my feet. I've thought more about that and realized that I probably have a pretty substantial answer.

1.Food
Sometimes, I eat rice 3 times a day! The other day, I was eating Hong Kong noodles for breakfast in my office with chopsticks and my co-worker asked me "If someone would have told you five years ago that you'd be eating noodles with chopsticks for breakfast, would you have believed them?" I said "absolutely not." Even last year, I didn't eat Thai food for breakfast. At this point, I realize that I don't have time to cook a substantial American-style breakfast, so it's better to buy Thai food and eat breakfast in my office.
However, I have not bought into everything. I ordered food the other night to take home and I thought I was getting pork (sometimes that's the only option if you want meat--I'll explain in a second). I got home, and realized that along with my pork (and vegetables, mint leaves, chili, etc.), I got pig intestines. After picking out all of the intestines and taking the large amounts of fat off the meat, I probably ate ten baht worth of the thirty baht I paid for my "nam tok moo."

2. Market Shopping
Every time I ride the bus past Khlong Toei Market, I think, "I really don't want to go there because it smells horrible." It's a "wet market," which means that they have fresh meat and seafood, along with produce and lots of other things. The prices are really good though. I was cooking for my church, and I was on a budget, so I decided to brave the market. After buying everything I needed and finding that people were generally helpful, I decided that I need to go to the wet market more often. I had a really good experience.
Average Thai people buy their clothes in flea market type settings. Some markets are huge with hundreds of stalls to choose from, and some are relatively small as they are set up along busy streets. While it's a little bit hard to find clothes big enough to fit well, I've become like the Thais and I would rather shop in a market than in a department store because I can save a lot of money. I think I might have to give in and buy shoes in department stores, however, because it's rare to find shoes that fit me well in the markets.

3. Transportation
I take buses, song taos (pick-up trucks with seats in the back), the Sky Train, the subway, taxis and motorcycle taxis everywhere I go. (I don't have a car and I'm not very excited about Bangkok traffic or driving on the left side of the road. I guess I haven't bought into that one) I'm trying not to take motorcycle taxis very often because I generally feel like I could die at any moment (but they're so convenient that sometimes I forget the danger when I'm in a hurry). After riding on the sidewalk on a motorcycle two times recently, I've realized that I have to use a different method of transportation on that route.

4. Language
When I'm with Thai people I don't know, I try really hard to speak Thai and listen to what they're saying. I don't catch everything, but I usually understand enough to continue the conversation. When I'm with people that speak English well, I'm kind of lazy. I don't usually practice Thai with them because I know that we will save time if we speak English. My Thai lessons are on hold for the moment because my teacher had to go back to her province. Hopefully we'll start again soon.

I think that's more than enough for now. I'm really enjoying teaching 3rd grade. I think this year is going better than last year because I actually know what I'm doing and because my students are more respectful and interested in learning than my 5th grade students were last year.

This week is Spiritual Revival Week for the students and teachers in our school. I'm leading praise and worship with the elementary native English-speaking teachers. Pray for me to show the love of God and be confident, no matter what the attitudes of my co-workers are.

I'm back!

After a wonderful visit to the States, it was a little bit difficult to readjust to life in Thailand again. I had forgotten how different it is here. Thank God for grace! I had to say goodbye to some of my best friends here on the day I got back. Brittany and Witt are already back in the US and will get married in June and then go to seminary. I also said goodbye to Saichol, as I had realized that we are going in different directions. Thank God for revealing the truth to me.

Chiang Rai, Thailand is a beautiful city. It is surrounded by mountains and lush greenery. It is near the northern border with Laos and Myanmar. I got to visit two different missionary families there this week. The first missionary family is an American woman married to a hilltribe man; they have two boys. They minister to the tribe that the man is from. Most of the people in this tribe live every day only thinking about how they will survive. He is very different, however, because he is very well-educated and has an earned Ph.D. His Ph.D. program was in English and he speaks five languages. His mother lives with their family and she is a sweet older lady who has Alzheimer's disease.

I had to laugh when I heard this story about her. She lived most of her life in a village, washing clothes by hand and cooking over an open fire. As you can imagine, moving into a house with lots of electric appliances was quite a shock to her. She truly believed that the people on TV could see and hear her. One day, she saw a man speaking her dialect on TV. She kept asking him where he was from. She didn't understand why he didn't answer her. She started to learn the truth when her family showed her a video of herself from her son's wedding. They asked her how she could be in the TV and outside it at the same time. She was partly convinced when her "TV self" could not answer questions, but she never fully believed that people don't sneak into the TV through a secret door in the back of the TV set.

She had just been to the village when I arrived, and she brought several tasty treats back with her. Some examples were miniature plums (arroy mach... I mean very delicious) and plump brown beetles (cooked of course). The name for the beetles in the tribal language means "What is it?" I think everyone was asking that question because I didn't see anyone eat any of the beetles while I was there.

I also visited a missionary family that recently moved to Chiang Rai from the Philippines. I met them while they were staying in Cleveland, Tennessee. Dr. Quinley taught one of my classes and it was incredible. I really enjoyed visiting with the Quinleys.

Tuesday is the big day! I'm starting work again and I'm very excited about what the Lord has in store for my students and for me this year. I'll keep you posted!

Squid and seaweed snacks

It's hard to believe that the school year has already come and gone. My students' last day before exams was February 22nd and we celebrated by having a party in each class. The students brought food to share, and the most popular items were as follows:
1. Potato chips (especially seaweed, shrimp, and barbecue flavors)
2. Squid snacks (I don't know the cooking process, but it ends up in rubbery strips. It's a common snack food that you can buy in convenience stores)
3. Seaweed snacks (It's formed into paper-thin sheets and is also available in convenience stores. The best thing is when they combine squid and seaweed snacks together--you get the best of both worlds!)
We had the occasional cookie and candy bar, but the first three were by far the most popular snacks. In one of my classes, a students gave me a handful of squid snacks and said "Teacher, low fat!" I knew it was a big deal for me to share their food, so I had my fill of potato chips, squid, and seaweed that day.

Last weekend, I was able to visit three youth groups with a youth committee that my boyfriend advises. We went to his hometown and also visited the seaside city of Pattaya. I sang a Thai song with the committee and the children at one church crowded around me to see if I was really reading Thai. I was using my own English version of Thai, but I think people at all of the churches were surprised that I was singing in Thai (I didn't know what every word meant however). I also got to eat coconut fresh from the tree at Saichol's house. It's so delicious!

I'm coming home in one week! I am very excited to see everyone and to eat American food at normal prices!

Big news!

A lot has happened since my last blog! The biggest thing is that I started dating one of the Thai Christian teachers at my school. His name is Saichol (pronounced sigh-shone) and he leads the praise and worship for the prayer meeting I go to before school every day. He is still learning English and I'm still learning Thai, so we don't always understand each other, but we get by. Sometimes we have help because we hang out with our friends Brittany and Wit; they help us if we don't know how to say a word in Thai or English. Brittany is an American Christian teacher at my school and Wit is her Thai fiancee. Wit is active in their church and he is my Thai teacher. I thank God for them. Saichol and I teach the same students (He teaches Bible and I teach English) and our students like to tease me about him. I knew they knew about us when they started singing the Wedding March in my classroom.

Brittany, Wit, and I got to go to Saichol's home and church in Chonburi (a city 1 hour southeast of Bangkok) two weeks ago. Many Thai people work in Bangkok but are from other places. Saichol's parents live near Chonburi. Brittany, Wit, and I got to lead games for the children in a Saturday program and I was blessed to share my testimony with the youth in the church. Many of them come from underprivileged backgrounds and I shared about how God can change us or change our circumstances to fulfill His plan for our lives.

I had to laugh the other day when I saw a commercial for "Dancing Shrimp Pizza." People in Thailand love to eat a variety of seafood on pizza and they put ketchup on their pizza when they eat it. My Filipino friends like to eat seafood pizza, so I've had the privilege of trying it. It's quite the experience.

I will only teach my students for one more week and then they have a 2 month summer break. I will work until March 21st, and then come home on March 24th! I'm in the home stretch! I really thank God for His faithfulness to me this year. I know that He has been answering all of the prayers of my friends and family. Lord willing, I will start teaching here again in May. After one more year of teaching, I would like to go to seminary to study counseling. I pray that God allows me to learn Thai well enough to someday counsel Thai people and especially people who have been rescued from sex trafficking. I thank God for giving me a clearer vision for the future. I know He will bring His will to pass in my life.

Back in the Swing!

After 10 days off for Christmas and New Year's, I'm back in the swing of things at school and our church activities are back to the regular schedule. It's amazing to think that I only will only teach for a month and a half and then the students are off for the summer! They finish at the end of February and I finish working at the end of March.

Right before the Christmas holidays, I was able to start leading a small Bible study/cell group for 11th grade students who can speak English well. Two of the students come from Christian families and the other four do not. Sometimes it is difficult for Thais to go against the grain and choose to become Christians. Buddhism is a part of everyday life. To leave it separates you from many important family activities, not to mention the fact that most Buddhist parents in our school discourage their sons from becoming Christians. I am very proud of the students in my Bible study and I am grateful to be able to teach them more about faith in God.

I am also learning more Thai. Several people have recently told me that my Thai has improved. Khap khun Phra-Jow! Chan fook pood paasaa Thai dai gap khon maak. (Thank God! I can practice speaking Thai with many people.) I like to practice Thai with people I don't know well, but I feel more self-conscious speaking Thai with people I know. I also feel like it takes too long to speak Thai when the person I am talking to understands English. Nonetheless, I want to practice more.

On a cultural note, I have been wearing black and white to work for the last 15 days. The king's sister died and the nation is in mourning. Mourning will officially go on for 100 days, but non-government employees can stop wearing black and white. It's so interesting to see how much the people of Thailand love the king and his family. The king brings a great deal of unity to this nation.

Today I was taking a taxi home and the taxi driver took several backroads to avoid traffic. He drove through a residential area and I was amazed at how tranquil it seemed. There were a lot of trees and greenery. For a few minutes, I felt like I was in a sanctuary away from the noise and rush of the city. There were no buses or cars whizzing by, and there were no street vendors. It was a very nice retreat from the norm.

Christmas!

Wow! Once again, my life has felt like a whirlwind for the last month or so.
One of my favorite things is that I got to go back to the orphanage in Sangklaburi from December 8-10 (thank God for Thai holidays!). We had a Christmas day camp for the orphans and community children. God's faithfulness is so evident at House of Hope. The House of Hope kids are more confident and much cleaner than the community children. You can see the love of Jesus in their lives. I love how they are so easily entertained by playing games together. They do have toys, but they don't know "what they're missing" in terms of technology. They are content with what they have and they work together as a family. As I mentioned before, they love to praise the Lord by singing songs and they put us to shame with how many Bible verses they have memorized. It was so humbling to be with them again. In the evening, we got to give many Christmas gifts to the children. It was a blessing to see their faces light up when they opened their gifts.

Even though Thailand does not recognize Christmas as a national holiday, I did not miss out on Christmas festivities. From huge Christmas trees in the malls, to the "Pass the Cheer" logos at Starbucks, to the Christmas decorations at school, I have been surrounded by reminders of Christmas. I am very blessed, however, because my school has a Christmas break. Most Thai schools do not have time off. I was able to take two Thai friends to two different Christmas parties. At each party, time was given for sharing about Jesus being the true meaning of Christmas. I thank God for opportunities to expose them to the meaning behind all of the Christmas hype (outside of the church, most Thai people think that Christmas is only about Santa Claus and Christmas trees). One of these friends is very open to the Lord and I pray that God continues to draw her to Himself.

The other highlight of this season was my dad's visit from the U.S. Thank you Jesus for the blessing and thank you Dad for taking the time and spending the money. My first Christmas away from the U.S. was great. I know it could have felt very sad, so I am so glad my dad came. We had a great time together! We went to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and my dad got to experience lots of Thai food (and the occasional Western meal--especially on Christmas--it was fabulous!). We went to a cultural show and saw lots of Thai and hill tribes dances. I think my dad's favorite part of the trip in Chiang Mai was the elephant camp. They have taught the elephants to paint pictures and the pictures are very good considering they were painted by elephants. We saw some colorful orchids at an orchid farm and went shopping at the night bazaar. We bargained with the vendors and mostly got good prices for the things we bought.

As the new year approaches,I believe the Lord is giving me some specific goals to work towards. I am believing Him for souls to be saved and asking Him to shape me in the way I look at other people and interact with the body of Christ. Thank God for the way He molds us and makes us more like Him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since my last blog, I've started studying Thai. I'm going to have my 4th lesson tomorrow. I'm learning correct grammar and pronunciation, which is great since I was just picking up bits and pieces before now. I'm not living in a complete immersion situation because I teach English all day and my co-workers are native English speakers, but I still manage to find people to practice Thai with. For example, I went to my favorite restaurant last night and a man at the next table asked if I spoke Thai. I said that I speak a little bit and he proceeded to practice his English and give me ample opportunities to practice my Thai as well.

Talking to that man turned out to be an answer to prayer because I've been praying to get to know the restaurant owners (It's a mom and pop place that has delicious food. I also like the fact that I can get stir fry and rice for less than a dollar--but it's very common to eat for a dollar or two here.) for a while. I got to meet the owner's sister and I hope to talk to the owner more also. I am really praying for the area that I live in and for the vendors/store owners that I go to the most frequently. I pray that God allows me to show His love to them more and share the hope I've found in Him.

I'm a little sad to be missing Thanksgiving in the US with my family, but I am getting to celebrate it here. I am truly grateful for the many people who've opened their arms and hearts to me here. Even though I'm far from home, I feel very loved and accepted.

Ok, now back to Thanksgiving celebrations. My first celebration was last weekend with my cell group. We had five nations represented and food from all of those nations as well. We had Japanese tempura, Filipino macaroni soup, American Stove Top Stuffing (Thanks, Dad for sending it to me!), Thai barbecued chicken, and Korean style pancakes/pizza (complete with kim chi and seafood mixed in). We had such a good time together. I made a new Japanese friend and practiced my Thai. Our aim for the party was to reach out to our non-Christian friends, and I think that we accomplished our goal. Praise the Lord!

My next Thanksgiving will be this Saturday with my American co-workers. We're shooting for a traditional Thanksgiving meal--turkey with all of the trimmings. I'm excited!