Sunday Night Walking Street Market

This is one of the reasons I love Chiang Mai. The Sunday Night Walking Street Market is my favorite market in SE Asia. Most markets have the same kinda things; jewelry, textiles, bags, clothes and all kinds of little trinkets. The SNWSM has all those things but also has interesting things I've not seen anywhere else in SE Asia (by that I mean Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and of course all of Thailand).

N and I had planned our day around this market. After the mtg we would go to some fabric shops (for her curtains) and then go to the SNWSM. My first mistake was forgetting my money and my chapstick this morning (chapstick is especially important when using a motor bike). Doh!!! But N had cash so it was ok. We ended up getting carried away at the fabric store (see photo below of N loaded down Thai style on her bike). The plan was for her to take the fabric back to the house, I would pick up some curtain rings and we'd meet back up for the night market (and she could bring me my money and chapstick).

The old "I'm home now and don't feel like going back out" settled into N's mind and I was on my own...without my cash! Doh! And with dry lips...Doh! I had about 1200 baht on me ($36). Not sure how far it'd get me but I was not going to miss the market.

I started out "arrrrrrrrghhhhhh...how could I forget my money and my chapstick and why are there so many people in my way!!! arrrrrrgghhhhh" (the market was very crowded-dang farangs!) I come across a lady selling natural lotions and (drum roll please) CHAPSTICK. But it's 40 baht (the equivalent of 4 necklaces). Hmmmmm. I couldn't go through with it, my lips would make the sacrifice. A few minutes later (and 2 purchases later) I stumbled upon another natural products stand. More chapstick! 75 baht?! But wait...there's a sample. Woohoo! Soft, moist lips for free.

My mood is improving with each purchase and pretty soon I'm laughing out loud at my success. I found the same place I'd been to my first time here 4 years ago, and every year since, to stop and have a drink (a Beer Lao Dark, never seen that before!!!) That's always the time I look over the things I've bought and count up how much I have left.

My night ended with a Mike's Cheeseburger (the best in CM) and 40 baht to spare, only because I forgot about it, could've bought that chaptick.

It can be done!

Myth: Americans can't drive on the left side of the road.
Fact: Americans CAN drive on the left side of the road. I did. Proof will be provided soon via YouTube. Not only did I drive on the left side of the road, I drove a standard with the stick also being on my left side.

Myth: Most people are not good at driving a motor bike.
Fact: Most Thais ONLY drive motor bikes. Some are perfectly comfortable carrying their 2 kids along.

Myth: Foreigners can only find accommodation in a 5-star hotel or a cheap guest house.
Fact: When you have the right source backing you up you can find a home that suits you and even fills a need for familiarity.

Ok, let me get to the details. I chauffeured W & N around (yes, on the left side of the road) in a borrowed 4-wheel drive Suzuki hard top. I enjoyed every moment! Then we rented motor bikes. Isn't N cute on her bike!!!

W & N found the perfect place for them. It's situated in a quaint Thai neighborhood replete with roosters. We've already made friends with the neighbors who are puzzled at these foreigners who have moved in next door. The neighborhood is complete with a noodle lady, laundry lady, a locals bar and even a nosy neighbor who will fix your Fino when it stalls.

Today we drove half way up Doi Suthep mountain on our bikes. It was getting late and we didn't want to drive down in the dark so we didn't stay up there long. We're planning to go back on Monday and explore some hiking/running trails. Stay tuned...

Sick

The late nights have finally caught up with me. I've been sick for about 3 days now. I haven't missed school but I did miss the mtg. After the letter that was read a few weeks ago I didn't want to take the chance of getting anyone else sick. But with school, the kids are usually snottier than me. Plus it's really not that much work. It's a 3-minute walk to get there and the kids mostly play. I did keep my distance with them but didn't feel like I should miss the last few days of the term.

Have I mentioned I'm going back to K2 in January? One of the K2 teachers quit and the school is desperate to fill the position, desperate enough to ask me to leave my Nursery class to take the position. It means a raise which is nice so I can save money. I'll go back to working til 2pm but it's only for 6 months so the money I'm able to save will be worth it!

I think I do enjoy teaching K2 a bit more. It's so cool to teach children how to read! And they have such funny things to say. I'm sure I'll enjoy the next 6 months.

Gardening in the City

Last week at a nearby park there was a Green Fair. You could buy anything organic from a t-shirt (organic cotton) to coffee (I stocked up). I also decided to try out gardening. There were vegetable plants and herbs for 20 baht each. So I bought sweet basil, parsley, kale, water chestnut, lettuce and a tomato plant. I also bought a few other plants to fill in the spaces of my newly painted patio. Here's a few photos. Any advice on gardening? My only experience is when I lived with G & S on Marietta Run Rd. I LOVED eating vegetables I'd just picked! Hopefully I'll have the same experience here.

More Face Lifting

I picked up W & N from the airport around midnight. I was on a roll of late nights. The first thing W wanted to do was get Som Tum from a street vendor and get a massage. Amazingly enough you can get both at 1am on Soi 22.

The next day we had a great time relaxing and catching up. It's so great to have friends visit!!!!!

Just before W & N headed south to Phuket, they painted some of my apartment. In my living room they painted one wall a soft yellow. It looks really great with a painting I have with lots of bright colors. I was able to help with the next project of painting the patio walls a bright yellow. They're not quite 6 ft tall so it wasn't too big of a job, but what a difference! It looks amazing! We moved some plants around and I feel like I have a whole other room. N posted the before and after shots on her blog. Check it out.

I bought the train tickets for Chiang Mai today. We leave next Saturday. I'm so excited to be cold up in the mountains!!!

The Fun Has Begun!!

It began Sunday when a South African couple who is a friend of a friend of a friend stayed with me. They just left for the beach this morning. They are awesome! I've only known a few people from South Africa so it was neat to hear about what it was like. They also had spent 10 years in Namibia. They are now involved in the sign-language work in George, South Africa. I'm sleep deprived from all the great conversations. Of course it was totally worth it. I'll need to get a good night sleep tonight because tomorrow I'll be picking up W & N from the airport around midnight. I'll be bouncing off the walls with excitement anyways.

Then Sunday K joins us for a night. She's here from southern Thailand for a wedding. She'll head back Monday, W & N head to Phuket Tuesday for a week. The fun continues on the 19th when we head to Chiang Mai!

Winter is here!

Finally...the cold season! My favorite time of year. It was 70F one morning, love it! It's much more pleasant to run and I don't sweat as much in general. It also means drier weather. During the rainy season my back patio (made of concrete) is always damp and grows mold and a bit of moss in some spots. The dampness also means lots of mosquitoes. I've spent some time this week cleaning things up a bit and making it more inviting. I always enjoy sitting outside to read in the morning but haven't done that in months.

It's funny how Thais react to the cooler weather. Everyone has a sweater and scarf on. Most of them don't have hot water for showers, that would be unpleasant. I must admit that I've been wearing long sleeves and a scarf. Ironically most places keep the AC on same as usual which makes things even cooler than outside. The sky train is especially frigid. So my scarf stays with me for the day. In a few weeks I'm heading up to Chiang Mai where it's even colder!!!!

Checking Back In

I checked out for a bit...just got consumed with things going on. It's always a busy time at school with the end of the term coming up. Today was also Sports Day at school. Four years ago we had a Sports Day during summer school. It was such a hit that the school implemented it into the regular school year. I volunteered to organize it and have been in charge each year since then. I enjoy doing it. The teachers run an event for the teams. The teacher assistants take the teams around to the different events and the parents follow along cheering on their kids. Everyone gets really into it. The TAs will put face paint on the kids and bring along drums and tambourines to help with cheering. Some parents even made signs and pom poms. Everyone had a great time.

In three weeks is the Christmas Concert. I rack my brain every year to choose a song that's not about Christmas but relates to snow. I've done every song about snowmen and snow flakes. It's even harder with nursery (2 years old) because they can't really perform. The important thing for them is their costume, they have to look cute and no one will care that they can't perform. So this year I chose a song that doesn't have any words. It's just music and the kids will shake bells. BUT I'm having really cute costumes made. They'll wear a white t-shirt, silver vest and different colored pants. The costume is what will make this years performance.

Face Lift

Not literally, of course. Although I sure live in the right place if I wanted one. Just thought the blog could use a new look.

I was completely lazy in October. Well, maybe just consumed with lots going on. I attended 3 conventions during the month. The final one was the most fun because it was the least amount of work. It was the English DC with all the English speaking expats living in and around Thailand. So there was lots of hanging out...so much so that I think I was on a social buzz. It took me several days to come down, so much fun!!

Now it's back to normal and I'm going to focus on running. Depending on how training goes this month, I might sign up for the 10k rather than the half marathon. We'll see. If you have a good run please share it!!

School

I have 9 students this year. Everyone was settled into school within a few weeks. (Last year there were a few kids who cried every morning for 3 months.) Now we're all very comfortable with each other.

Our class is quite international. We have kids from Russia, Poland, Sweden, Australia, America, Thailand, India and Japan. The kids are starting to say each others names and form friendships which is really cute to watch. There's one little boy who is quite a chatterbox but he mostly speaks in Swedish or Polish, little English. So we never know what he's saying but it's so cute to listen to him. He's now starting to repeat words we use at school. The first word he learned was 'no'.

DC in the South

I wanted to write last week but I was having internet problems for a few days and then left for the south Wed on the night train. I just got back this morning, took the night train back. Not sure if anyone saw the news about a train wreck outside Hua Hin that happened early this morning. There were 4 of us who left on the 6:30 train. There were 11 on the train that crashed, many who work at Bethel. Fortunately only 2 of them were injured but ok. The branch sent a van down to pick them up. I must say I'm quite shaken by it. But I'm sure a good nights sleep will help.

The DC itself was really good. All the new releases were also released in Thai. I had my doubts about the new book, seems like it'd be the biggest job. But we have it! There were about 360 people in attendance. There are 5 circuits in Thailand (South, North, Northeast and 2 in Bkk). Each has it's own DC except for Bkk which combines the 2. The South is the smallest but too far from anywhere else to combine. I'm really impressed at the effort everyone puts into having the DC. Most speakers had 2-4 talks in addition to demos. So much work!

In sign, our highest number of deaf was 6. But 4 of them that came are progressive students and regular meeting attenders. That makes all the effort worth it. It was also nice to see about 30 others who sat in the sign language section wanting to learn sign.

I also interpreted talks for the first time. I usually just help out with interviews and demos. So I was really nervous about being able to understand Thai clearly. Things went ok. I was able to prepare well and listen to talks someone recorded from DCs in the states. So I knew the info well enough to understand what the speaker was saying. It's not over though, I have some more interpreting at the DC in Bkk in 2 weeks.

True Fitness

I joined a gym for a month called True Fitness. (I actually bought three one-month passes.) It has some classes I was really interested in: Pilates, Body Pump (strength training), Gym Ball, etc. I really loved the Pilates classes. I also enjoyed the Body Pump class. I've never done much strength training with weights so I'm glad to have the increased knowledge about the different methods used. I will say though, that going to the gym wasn't the most mentally healthy thing for me, messed with my self-image a bit. I swear they rigged the mirrors! Seriously, think of what that could do for business if everyone is always looking at themselves thinking they have more to lose than they thought. And always being around all the skinny Thai girls wasn't exactly motivating, made me want to hide.

I really did enjoy the classes so I'll recover my self-image before I use the other two months. And this time I know what to expect (it took me several weeks before I noticed how it was affecting me). So I'll go into it with a sturdier self-image. For now, though, I'm going to focus on running. I have two weeks until my official half-marathon training begins.

Hair Hassle

It's something we all feel frustrated about at times...right? I've certainly had my own share lately. After having long hair for several years I decided to cut it all off while I was home back in May. I liked it, although I did kinda miss my long hair. It is more compatible with hot weather though.

Let me digress for a moment to mention why I had let my hair get so long. It's hard enough to explain how I want my hair cut in English . To do this in Thai could easily lead to a bad cut. It was just easier not to get it cut. So I've never had my hair cut in Thailand. I'd always wait until I visited Ohio so J, who I trust implicitly, could cut it.

Now with shorter hair I decided to get over it and get it cut somewhere. So I went to get it trimmed at a place recommended to me. The lady did a great job and I was really happy with it. Such relief to know you can trust someone. So just before I went to the convention in Malaysia I wanted to get it trimmed again. I went back to the same lady. I told her to do the same as last time. After having it washed she started blow drying it straight. I thought it was odd that she was going to cut it dry but she's the professional not me so I didn't say anything. Then when it's all dry she says it's finished. She hadn't understood that I wanted it cut. Sigh. So I tell her I want it CUT the same as last time. So she cuts it dry. But it wasn't the same as last time. I had to tell her to cut more from a few places. I was a bit disheartened. She did such a good job the first time and now my confidence in her was dropping. I left frustrated and my hair not quite right. I didn't realize how bad it was until the next day when I washed it and let it do it's natural wave that my hair was now triangular shaped. Sigh!! And I was leaving for Malaysia the following day. I kept telling myself to let it go, it's not important.

But it really bothered me. So I went to the salon at the hotel in Malaysia and asked the guy to fix it explaining, clearly I thought, how I wanted it. I had specifically said I want the front longer than the back. I lost my breath as he cut the front SHORTER than the back. Argh!!!!! I surrendered to having bad hair for the convention. There was nothing else I could do. So I focused on the program and tried to be as comfortably social as I could. (I hate that feeling of not being comfortable in your own skin.) I also tried not to be so dramatic about the whole thing. I just had to let it go.

That's been over a month now and my hair is a bit better. It was starting to get triangular again so I cut it myself a bit (I know I don't have your approval on that, J. Sorry.) It's improved and I'm grateful to feel somewhat normal again.

I know I shouldn't give up completely on getting my hair cut here. But I'll wait until it's completely necessary and I'll be very specific and tell them to stop if I see them about to cut something I don't want them to.

Oh, and no, I don't have a photo!

My other pastime

After getting back into a regular work routine, I'm now focusing on getting back to a regular running routine. I'm planning on running the half marathon in Chiang Mai again this year. I don't officially start training for it until October but I want to be well into a routine by then. I ran 4 miles Sunday morning. The sun was strong even at 8am but I pounded through it and had a great run.

Later on I was on the bus heading to my meeting and noticed a couple signing to each other. I said hello and the man responded. After talking for a few minutes I realized that the lady with him was mostly blind, she can see a little out of one eye but not enough to know that I was a foreigner. I noticed his shirt had a picture of 2 runners in a race and asked him about it. He said it was the 2 of them finishing a 10k together. Wow! I'm not sure how often they run races but he knew about the race in Chiang Mai. He even knew the exact date for this year. I sure was glad I had run that morning! I'm sure they'll be crossing my mind each time I run, how inspiring!

Malaysia

We flew into Kuala Lumpur and then took a van to Melacca. There's lots of history in Melacca. The British had a big settlement there for a long time. There are lots of interesting old buildings there. Thursday was one of the only nights we had to see the town.

The DC was great of course. There was sign language interpreting which was exciting to watch. I appreciated being able to listen in English and watch how it was interpreted. Malaysian deaf schools have taught ASL for the most part so that's what was used in interpreting. There are about 6 Americans who moved there to help with sign so it was nice meeting them. There were 50 deaf that attended on Sunday. Impressive!

After the DC we rode down to Johor Bahru with an English couple who lives there. We met up with some friends for lunch the next day. I met them 2 years ago when I first went to Malaysia and they've been to Bkk a few times. We had great conversations. They both think deeply and express themselves with passion. But we only had the afternoon with them. That night we stayed with another friend. She showed us all the exciting spots of JB and took us to a great restaurant. We thoroughly enjoyed some naan and dahl with her.

The next day we went to Singapore. It was kind of a hassle getting across. We had to walk what seemed like miles through mazes of hallways. Then we boarded a bus that took us over the bridge and left us at the border. There were more mazes on that side until we finally reached daylight and took a taxi to where we were staying.

We had made arrangements with some friends of friends. They were beautifully hospitable and took care of us well. We didn't really see much because we only had 24 hours there. But Singapore is somewhere I'd definitely go again just to be with the friends. They were really remarkable. I wouldn't mind seeing some of the sights too.

I really enjoyed meeting all the people in Malaysia and Singapore. They all have work under unique circumstances that remind me of how privileged we are in Thailand and in other places. There are other details that I can't post since this is a public site. All I can say is that it was very thought provoking to work with them.

Here are some photos from Malaysia.

Thap Sakae

Thap Sakae was my first destination. It's a small town near the most narrow point in Thailand which is 10km wide. It rained a lot which isn't so bad except for when you're on a motor bike. So I bought a raincoat for 20 baht that kept me mostly dry. We were on the bikes a lot traveling around in their territory. I didn't get to go up into the mountains though. Another time.

There were two things I really enjoyed. First, the couple I stayed with are really teriffic. We had some really great conversations. They're people I can really be myself around. And they're so kind and good. So I feel like I can learn from them too. Th'ey had some others (3 Koreans, 1 Japanese and 1 Thai) from the cong over one night and we played 'Uno'. I have fond memories from childhood playing Uno with my family. My favorite was when my grandpa, whose eyes weren't so good, would play a green card thinking it was blue or the opposite. We'd have to correct him a lot. It became part of the game. This time the most amusing player was one of the Koreans who has really good manners. She would apologize each time she played a bigger card (skip, draw 2, etc). I usually play those cards with an evil laugh. We had a great time.

Second, we went to a deaf school in the next town to the south. The school was literally right next to the beach, great setting! We got there in the afternoon at about 2:30 so some of the kids were already finished with their classes. We talked with them for a bit, they were surprised to see us there and were full of questions. Little by little the few kids became a crowd. Then teachers were coming out. It was overwhelming but fun too. The sister who went with me is wanting to learn sign language. I think they'll be happy to help her out at that school. I loved meeting all of them. They're so excited to talk to new people, especially foreigners. We stayed for about 45 minutes and could've stayed longer but had to get back. I'd love to go down there again.

Here are some photos of the territory.

Heading South

Tomorrow morning I am off to Thap Sakae in the south. It's south of Hua Hin in the narrow part between the Gulf of Siam and mountains bordering Myanmar. I'm really excited to be out of the city! A Canadian couple who used to live here in Bangkok have moved down there. The sister has a Bible student who can hear but cannot speak due to problems with her vocal chords. So the sister wants to teach her some signs. They also have a deaf school in the province and want to investigate the potential of interest. The Canadian couple is really great so I'm looking forward to spending time with them. I'm excited to help with the deaf field too. To take advantage of being out of Bkk, I'm hoping to rent a bike for a day and either ride by the coast or into the mountains a bit. Whatever I do I'll for sure get lots of photos.

I'm back in Bkk for a day and then heading down to Malaysia for the English D.C. We fly into Kuala Lumpur then travel to where the D.C. is in Melacca. After the D.C. we're heading down to Johor Bahru to visit some friends. We're only there for 2 days and then head down to Singapore for a day and a half. From there we fly back to Bkk.

The day after we get back I'm heading down to Pattaya for a long weekend. I'm using a voucher for a free night at a nice hotel I received a few years ago. There's also and English couple who lives there that I'll hang out with. The following Monday school starts back up. I'm using every bit of time left!

So I probably won't be blogging again until I get back. I'm sure I'll have a chance to check my email from time to time though.

Music

I am finally a part of the iPod world. I bought an iPod Shuffle. Just clipping it on is perfect for running, much easier than my old MP3 player. So I now also have iTunes. I'd never used it before and I'm impressed. It's very user friendly as is iTunes Store which seems to have EVERYTHING. I've downloaded several new songs, several old songs and even a book I'm going to listen to on my trip coming up.

Since living here I've felt a little out of touch with the latest music. Actually, I've always had a problem remembering who sings what songs. I would hear a song on the radio and like it but not know who sang it or what the song was called. I never liked the idea of buying a whole CD based on liking one song. So I never did. I mostly listened to the radio. I can get CDs much cheaper here so I've become more familiar with who I like. But iTunes is taking me to new heights! How have I been out of touch for so long??? I feel like I'm emerging from being under a rock.

So, my latest downloads:
Rodrigo y Gabriella - I saw them last year at the All Points West concert in NY. I was blown away by them. I bought the whole album, my first iTunes purchase.

Feist - A couple here actually introduced me to her. I love her style! I downloaded the whole album Let It Die. It's all really good.

Paula Abdul - You're welcome to make fun of me. I was a huge Paula fan during middle school. Vibeology from her Spellbound album came to mind when I was thinking of running songs. It now gives me a little surge during a run.

Any suggestions?

Those Chinese

I was at a coffee shop reading yesterday when I was approached by a deaf person. He handed me a card that said he worked with a church and was selling little trinkets. I asked him where he was from. He said China. Hmmm...a deaf Chinese person in Bangkok attempting to preach. I've seen many Thai deaf doing the same thing (for a variety of causes) but not Chinese. We ended up talking for a bit. I told him about our work here. He recognized a brochure I showed him. He told me he had been to Malaysia and met Bible teachers there. He then showed me some photos on his phone of people he met in Kuala Lumpur. I recognized them! They're Witnesses in the sign group in Malaysia! Amazing! It also made me laugh. We sure are thorough in our ministry! Apparently he is too. Ha! I took a picture of him with my phone but have yet to work out the process of getting it onto my computer.

Rainy Run

It's the rainy season. There was a light drizzle outside when I woke up this morning. I pushed myself out the door, by then it had stopped. But by the time I got to the park it had started back up and went a bit beyond drizzling. But I pushed on, what's the point in turning back now! It turned out to be an exhilarating run. I was soaked when I finished and had the luxury of enjoying a hot shower after I got home. I usually don't enjoy hot water when I've been hot all day. My morning was off to a great start!

I'm officially on my summer break from school! Yay! I have 5 weeks total. The first 3 weeks I'll be spending lots of time in service, making up for when I was back in the states. The 4th week I'm heading down south to visit some friends. There is some deaf in their territory and my friends want to learn some TSL. They also live near the beach!

The 5th week I'm off to Malacca, Malaysia for an English DC. I went 2 years ago and LOVED it. We met so many interesting people who I'll get to see again this time. I'm traveling with some good friends from here and we're staying in this really posh hotel where the DC is being held. After the DC we're heading down to Johor Bahru for a few nights and then one night in Singapore. I'm having a dilemna about wether or not to take gum with me for a run in Singapore. I always chew gum while running. Should I chance it?

A Day in the Kitchen

I usually have RVs and a study on Tuesday afternoons but my study canceled. I decided to take the afternoon off. I've been hitting the pavement hard lately and could use some down time. So after chilling out a bit I decided to do a bit of baking.

I started out making healthy cookies. I got the recipe from my sister. There is no sugar (sweetened with honey) and I used buckwheat flour. There's also oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon in them. They turned out pretty good. Then I decided to make some granola. It's really good too!

While the cookies were baking I was looking through a whole foods book I have. I was inspired to make peanut butter. I chopped up peanuts in a blender, then added sunflower oil and a little bit of honey. It's kinda like the peanut butter we used to bye from the amish store. It's pretty good.

Then for dinner I had veggies and some grouper. I used loads of garlic on everything. I also seasoned the grouper with seasonall and lime. It was yummy!

I had a really good time with all of it! I put on some music and kinda got lost in what I was doing. I get the same feeling when I paint. I blast the music and get lost in myself. It releases some creative juices and I end up feeling energized and revitalized. It was a great way to spend my free time today!

I should've taken photos...next time.

Singha Cross Country Race

I ran a race yesterday! It was a 9k cross country run on the outskirts of Bkk. I had a rocky start because the taxi driver didn't know the area and couldn't read the map I gave him. We finally got to the park as the runners were just leaving. So I ran to the register table to get my number, pinned it on and was off. It was 3 minutes into the race already. I did ok. My time was 54:18 (I took the 3 minutes off). We ran on grass for a bit and then on a bike path. The grass part was on the bank of a lake so we were running on a sideways incline. I didn't like that, hurt my ankles a bit. But fortunately it wasn't for too long. Otherwise it was a great location. I ended up placing 4th in my division and received a trophy. I don't think there were many women running.

This is my last week of summer school. I'm finishing a week early because the number of kids registered is so low next week. It's perfect timing, we have our C.O. visit next week. I'll also get a head start on catching up on the time I need to make up.

Arroy - Thai for delicious

A mexican buffet at a restaurant called Bourban Street in Bangkok. Hmmmm. I was a little skeptical. J & B had some friends from Malaysia visiting who hadn't had mexican for awhile so we tried it out. It turned out to be awesome! In fact, I ate too much (as is often the case at a buffet). They had everything: burritos, enchiladas, tacos, fajitas and all the fixins'. YUM!

We had our SAD this past Sunday. There were 20 deaf there and 21 others learning sign. There's so much potential here! We've been doing search work every Saturday and usually find at least 1 deaf person. A few weeks ago I asked to men at the end of a soi if they knew of any deaf in the neighborhood. One man said yes and took me down to a restaurant where a deaf lady works. The owner said she wasn't there that day, she works Mon-Fri. So I returned the following Tues. It went great! She was excited to speak with someone in sign, she doesn't have any deaf friends. I told her about our work and she seemed excited to have her own Bible study. The following week I met her mom. Her mom was really happy for her to be able to communicate with someone in sign. The deaf lady is about 30. She didn't finish school so her sign is limited. It's also limited because of not using it much. So I've been having regular studies with her since. It's tricky to teach Bible concepts to her with such limited vocabulary but she does make a bit of progress each week. It's really neat to be a part of!

...

I was in Surat Thani over the weekend. I had gone down back in March for the CA. Sunday was the SAD. There were four deaf that came. One girl is a progressing student from Krabi. Another lady we had just met on Saturday. She hasn't been to school so doesn't know any sign-language. She just uses whatever can get her by. She has a little girl who is 9 years old. The older sister of the lady encouraged her to come so that she could learn some sign language. So she was there with her daughter and they stayed the whole day. Impressive!

The other two deaf that came is a married couple who live just outside Surat. K had got there mobile number from a deaf student who lives in Trang. She sent them an SMS inviting them to the SAD. They came to check it out and stayed for the afternoon session. It was neat they came in spite of not knowing what it was about.

I got back Monday at 6am. No big deal since we're now in Summer School. I didn't have to be at work until 9am. I finish at 12:30. It's very easy since we're not actually teaching so much. It's mostly playing. I have a good job!

My Lifeline

Is it shameful that my social life is mostly dependent on the internet? I'm not talking about Face Book or anything like that. I mean Skype and Gmail. I love getting home in the evening to see who is online and have a quick chat with them. And to be able to call the States for FREE from Thailand on Skype is amazing! I couldn't live here without the internet. I didn't have a computer for the first 2 years I lived here. When I finally bought a laptop and had internet connected in my apartment, it changed my life...for the better. I couldn't go back, as last week proved.

That being the case, trust is a huge issue when it comes to my computer. When I first came here I lived with 2 other teachers from the school I was working at. They had come together from Canada and only one of them had a laptop. The borrower was carrying it down the steps one day and she fell down, slamming the laptop down at the bottom...broken! She was ok but the new laptop was trashed. I would be devastated if that ever happened.

So when problems come up, I'm learning to deal with it on my own. I don't trust my computer to just any IT guy. I feel better about learning what I need to learn in order to fix the problem. I do have someone I consult with back in the states. The value of that is since I can't take my computer over to him, he talks me through fixing the problem and I learn a few things in the process. I'm very grateful to him for that!

It's very liberating to be tackling these issues. It contributes to an overall "I think I can" attitude that I can use in other aspects of my life.

By the way, I do have a few friends here. Had pizza and beer with B & J Saturday night and last night J & M came over. Fun weekend!

The IT World

It's funny how those to letters together, 'I' and 'T' automatically raise my stress level. Until recently I haven't been to the IT World. I've bought things from there but never had the energy to go there. That's until I HAD TO GO. My internet connection was down all last week, crippling my social life (I'll address that later). I called the number I needed to call and talked with a man who said he'd look at the wireless connection. That was it. No "I'll get back to you" or "let me know if it's still not working by the end of the week". Nothing. This is Thailand, no customer service unless you're in tourism. Well, it wasn't fixed by the end of the week. I had to go to the IT World. YIKES!

It was a quick visit. I looked up a few things, clicked repair once or twice on two different windows. And then it was fixed! It wasn't that scary after all. I then had an informative conversation with a friend (over Skype) who further enlightened me. Turns out the IT World isn't that scary. You just need a map, a phrase book and confidence. The confidence helps you stay motivated while navigating through the map and phrase book rather than just giving up because it's too overwhelming. I found the whole experience freed me from my fear and apprehension.

I've also updated my phone. I had a very basic phone, no camera or anything. I took a big step up. I bought a phone with a camera, video and PDA. (Camera and video are really handy in working with the deaf.) It even connects to the internet. Although I must say that I very much prefer to use the internet on my computer. Even so, I did enjoy listening to NPR on an internet radio website yesterday as I was on my way somewhere. I felt so high-tech!

So I'm feeling much more comfortable in the IT World. I guess it's true with anything in life, if you are unaware it's overwhelming. Once you are educated, even if just a little, you're confidence is boosted and your attitude changes.

Benjasiri Park

I've been pondering my reasons as to why I'm living here and the things I like about Thailand. I always think about those things after saying good bye to everyone back home again.

To spare you from my deep thoughts of my reasons for living here, I'll skip to sharing with you one of the things I like about Thailand.Taking a walk through the park is pretty cool. There's always lots of activity in the morning and evening. (Everyone escapes to the indoors with AC in the afternoons.) Benjasiri Park is 5 minutes away and I walk through it to get to the sky train. There's...

group aerobics...Tai Chi...an outside gym...a skate park...basket ball, volley ball and a game similar to hacky sack expect they use a wicker ball and a net.I often go to the park to enjoy the little nature that a big city offers. I've joined the group aerobics quite a few times, it's free and really fun. (I run at a different park that has a longer path.) Since there's always loads of people there it's a great place to people watch which I've always been entertained by.

Back to Bkk

I was awake at 4:30 this morning. I love jet lag! My goal is to keep this schedule. I get so much accomplished when I get up early. Well, maybe I'll push it to 5:30.

So the trip home was great! Seeing everyone, the cooler weather, great food and beer and the shopping. But I must honestly say it's also nice to get back to a routine. I always end up feeling a bit "off" after 3 weeks of little routine.

One fun thing I did was go to the zoo with my sister, my sister-in-law and her kids. We had a great time! I was much more interested in my niece and nephew than the animals. They had a great time. Here are a few photos.

And I'm Off

I'm all packed up and ready to go! I had just enough time to get a massage, wanted to get the blood flowing strong for when I sit for 20 some hours. I'll leave in a few minutes for the airport. My flight leaves at 3am for Kuwait then on to NY. Kuwait should be interesting. I'm excited to see it!

I'm so happy to be there for spring. I love that scent in the air of the break of winter, the first time you wash your car. I've already missed that but I'll still love the change in temp. It's been over 100F here! I'm so ready for cooler weather.

So I hope I get to see most of you. I know I'll miss seeing some of you since this is such a quick trip. But I'll look forward to meeting up with you next year.

Batman to the Rescue

The media sure hyped up the political issues here. But check out this clip from a local TV news station. There's a more laid back attitude about these things here. Batman to the Rescue

A Thai sister told me about this happening a few days ago. I've been watching YouTube for a video of it. I knew YouTube would come through! Towards the end of the video the newscaster makes this comment: "Batman is kinda fat." Poor guy, he was just trying to help.

By the way, this area is called Din Dang. It's in our cong's territory. We worked those apts last year that Batman comes out of. Exactly the kind of place Batman would come out of.

Song Kran

Having the week off I wanted to do something fun at least one day. So I went with a few other sisters to a hundred-year-old market in the next province. It was a bit of an adventure with all the "excitement" we've had here lately. First there were lots of soldiers stationed around the city carrying huge rifles. Kinda intimidating. Then we were a bit late so we had to run to catch the train. We made it. Then the Thai sister with us, G, had to sweet talk the train ticket guys because we were in such a rush to get the train that we didn't buy tickets. It worked out.

So we get to the next province and take a song-tao to where we need to catch a boat. (A song-tao is a truck with benches in the bed and a cover. It's the major form of public transportation outside Bkk.) Tickets for the boat were sold out so we had to wait over an hour for the next one. Unfortunately where we had to wait was right next to a famous temple. G felt very uncomfortable there. Thai JWs don't like temples (understandably so) and are quite sensitive to being around them. Interesting. We finally get the boat and it's a 30 minute ride to the market.

The market was interesting. It's right along the river and seems like it used to be a little mini port. All built out of wood. The market was mostly different kinds of food and cheap toys from China. Funny combo. It was fun trying lots of different kinds of food.

We were finished within a few hours. Instead of taking a boat, we just took a song-tao to get back to the train. Along the way we got hit with water several times by people along the street. But fortunately everything important (phone, camera, etc) was safe in a plastic bag. We were prepared.
When we got to the train station we were told that they canceled the train we were hoping to take and had to wait 2 hours for the next one. So instead we hop in a tuk tuk and head to the bus station. We took a bus intead.

So I'm walking home and thinking how fotunate I am that I hardly got wet. But right near my place was a bunch of people throwing water at everyone. The day before I had walked past them without getting wet at all. So I felt confident that I could get by again. I took a few photos and as I was walking past the final group one girl very nonchalantly doused me with a BUCKET of water from the front. I was a bit shocked which I think encouraged her because she then doused the back of me. Sigh.

Silly Red-Shirts

They're at it again. More protesting. This time it's the Red-Shirts (supporting the former PM who was ousted in 2006). I don't get it. It's just back and forth. The protestors have blocked traffic in several significant areas earlier in the week. They did the same today. Around 5pm today the govt made an announcement on radio and news for everyone to go home and stay home for the rest of the day. So we all went home. I doubt anything major will happen, especially in the next 3 days. But you never know so I continue to be cautious.

Tomorrow starts the Thai New Year, otherwise known as the water festival. I'm off all week. (yipee!) I would think about going to the beach or somewhere but it's hard to get out of Bkk because the masses of Thais from the provinces working in Bkk go home for the 3 days. So traffic leaving Bkk is awful and everything is always booked way in advance. But staying in Bkk is fine because no one is here, it's much quieter. It's tricky leaving my apt though because you can't go anywhere without getting wet. There are people along the streets throwing water at all passing by. They also put powder in the water and even have the audacity to put powder on your face or arms as you're walking by. If I'm not in the mood for it I try to give the meanest look I can come up with in order to prevent this. Other times it's so hot that a bit of water splashed on you is actually refreshing. I would join in except that it's related to Buddhism.

On another note, my friend A up in Chiang Mai ran a 5k and came in 5th place. She got a trophy! How cool is that!

Art Class

Have I mentioned K and I have been taking an art class? Last week was our last class. It was a 2-hour class once a week for 3 months. We both really enjoyed it! Sometimes I need a diversion from normal life. Something to just get lost in. (Running often does that for me too.) I enjoy the therapeutic form of expression. A few years ago I was really inspired one night so I put some music on and just painted. It was great! I got lost in the music and colors and then realized it was 2am. The amazing thing was that I slept really well and had no trouble getting up the next morning at 6:30. I was convinced how valuable it is to engage your mind in that way. So I jumped when K mentioned taking an art class.

We mostly focused on drawing. We had lots of practice with still life. But we finished the class with a canvas painting. We spent 3 classes working on it. I loved it! Here's a few photos from our last class.

Surat Thani

It was a great time! It was a slightly stressful because some of the interpreters felt really nervous about their parts. But it all worked out. There were 7 deaf that came. The really cool thing was that 5 of them traveled at least 3 hours to come. They have all been contacted within the past 6 months and are progressing well. Really impressive! The other 2 were locals who were contacted a few weeks ago.

The southern circuit is small, there were about 350 in attendance. I'm not sure how many baptized-maybe 5. There were 87 at the pioneer mtg Friday (yes, I went, no beach time but that's ok.) Out of the 87 about 30 are Thai. So there are over 50 foreigners serving down there! They're mostly Japanese and Koreans. So in addition to trying to understand the Thai (for interpreting) we had to try to understand the foreigners trying to speak Thai. It was tricky.

and again

Had to go back to school last Wednesday. There were a few cases of HFMD but nothing alarming. Then Thursday there were about 10 kids in the office with possible outbreaks. The head teacher decided the school had to be closed again. This time for 8 days!!! Wohooo! So that's a total of 9 extra days off. We'll have to make up 4 of them over the next 2 months with holidays we were supposed to have. But that's ok, 2 of those I'll be in the states anyways.

The timing is perfect! I was planning on going to the C.A. down south to help with interpreting. I was going to have to take a night train Fri night in time to arrive Sat morning for the program. Then catch a bus back Sun night in time for school Mon. But now I'll be able to go down early. I'm leaving tomorrow night on the night train. Wednesday we'll go in service trying to make contacts with the local deaf. Thurs there's an interpreting mtg and Fri the pio mtg (which I'll probably skip since it's not mine which means some possible beach time). I'll still have to take the bus back Sun night but that's ok. The C.A. is in Surat Thani. There are some popular islands off the coast but I've not been there yet. I don't think I'll make it this time either.

This is litterally contagious!

My school has closed for 5 days for an outbreak of Hand Foot Mouth Disease! Every December/January I get so jealous when I hear of schools back home getting snow days. I lived for snow days when I was in school. Finally we get the equivalent. Well, maybe a flood would be the SE Asian equivalent. But I'll take anything!

So I first thought about skipping town and going to the beach for several days. But I decided to stick around and stock up on some bonus time. I'll need the bonus time since I've bought the airline tickets to go home in April. Have I mentioned I'm coming? I found great tickets on Kuwait Air, of all airlines. Round trip from Bkk to NY for under $900! (The flight stops in Kuwait, isn't that cool!) So I fly into NY on April 26 and return on May 16. I'm really excited to come home in the spring! It's the hottest time of year here so I'm thrilled to leave Bkk. I never thought I would leave since we don't have enough time off work to go far. But since I'm attending a particular wedding (!!!!) I'm taking the time off work. My visit will be short so I may not be able to see some of you. I'm really sad about that, I really want to see all of you! But I'll likely be back again in a year or so. Then I'll be able to come for a longer period and see everyone. I would really love to come in the fall with the crisp air and brilliant colors.

Speaking of trees, there's a particular tree at school that drops grape-sized seeds for about a week each year. It was just last week. The seeds fall about 15-20 feet. That's not very far but they sure come down hard and splat the ground good. I got hit in the head several times and one even stained my shirt. The ground looked like we got raided. I caught one of my students about to eat one that landed in the sand pit. I'm glad it only lasts a week. I guess it could be worse, it could've been a mango tree. A mango could really knock someone out.

It's contagious!

Without very much persuasion there are 3 of you now doing the cleanse. You'll do great and feel awesome! Last week I had so much energy and felt good. But I'm actually still having a few digestion issues. Kinda depressed about that especially after doing the cleanse. I think the problem is related to living here and the bacteria I'm exposed to. So after doing some research and diagnosing myself, I came to the conclusion that I'll have to follow a strict diet of no sugar, no alcohol, no bread and lots of veggies. It won't be so bad since there are lots of fresh veggies available.

I bought a washing machine last week! I'm really excited about it! My old one, given to me 3 years ago, was the kind with a tub on the left side and a spinner on the right. So when doing laundry I had to sit with it and change the water out, rinse, let the water out again and then put it in the spinner-very time consuming. The engine on the spinner quit working. So after checking around for about a week I decided on one and bought it. It wasn't too expensive, about $190. It's so wonderful to put my clothes in and they're finished 26 minutes later! I love it! This was the first appliance I've ever bought. I felt like such a grown-up. I know I'm officially a grown-up since I'm over 30, but do you ever have moments like that? Maybe it's because I seem to do things later in life than the average person? Hmmm.

Food Glorious Food

I love food! I love having energy! The soups turned out great. I must say I was still dragging on Saturday even though I was able to eat soup. Sunday is when I really noticed my energy back. I felt like a much better teacher at school today too. I actually played with the kids. Last week I mostly watched them play. My back isn't sore, more organs don't hurt. Food is a wonderful thing! I am really glad that I did it and I feel really good. I think I'll do it for 5 days each year.

So now my health focus is not only eating right but exercising regularly. In addition to running once a week, I'm going to join aerobics in the park and do pilates. I want to do things that will tone my muscles.

As Witnesses, we're all very busy with the regular routine of meetings, service, family, etc. And sometimes I feel slightly guilty about having a major health focus. But I really benefit from having a health focus. It does take a bit of time and energy (which is why I think I feel slightly guilty) but it's so beneficial! When I feel good physically it overflows into other aspects of my life. I end up being a better teacher (school and service), retaining information better and feeling more productive. It's all about being balanced. (I think I'd enjoy being a Nutrition Counselor...haha)

Days 9 and 10...master cleanse mastered

I'm finished! Yay! I feel good. I'm really glad I did it. I ended up loosing my voice yesterday afternoon. I noticed my throat felt really dry while I was studying with a deaf Bible student. Of course I'm signing and not talking so I didn't notice my voice was raspy until the evening. It's still gone. But I don't feel sick at all. Someone told me it's my body getting rid of toxins through the phlegm. (My tongue has also been white the past 10 days which is another way the body gets rid of toxins). So I guess that's a good thing.

The main motivation for this was to clear out my digestive system. It's cleared out for the most part. The secondary motivation was to loose a bit of weight. I think since my main motivation was health it helped me be more determined to stick with it. I don't think I would've thought of doing this if my main motivation was to loose weight. Seems too extreme. (I did end up loosing about 12lbs. I'm thrilled about that!) But to do it for health seemed reasonable. So I'm going to try to keep that same "good health" motivation in the intentions of having a balanced and healthy diet. If I focus so much on my weight I end up making myself feel deprived to an extent. That's just miserable and damaging. I won't last thinking that way. It's funny how we can play games with ourselves like that. sigh

So tomorrow I'll get up early to make the Curried Carrot soup. I'll add some eggs and tofu to meals from Sunday on. I'm so excited! I wonder if things will taste different....

Days 7 and 8...the end is in sight

I've been really needing a nap each day, even if it's only 20 minutes. Today I had an appointment with a Bible student but she was late so I took a nap right there in the McDonalds where we were meeting. It made a big difference.

Other than that I'm feeling good and looking forward to eating again. Friday is my last day but Saturday I can only have juices and soups. So I went to the store to buy the veggies for the soup I'm going to make (tomorrow and Friday are very busy so today was my only opportunity to go to the store.) I had to walk fast, so many wonderful things to eat that I couldn't let myself dwell on. I'm going to make Curried Carrot Soup and that night I'll make Slimmers Pumpkin Soup. Anyone have a favorite soup recipe? Sunday I'm going to make hummus.

I also have all my meals for next week planned! It'll mostly be salads and steamed veggies. I can't quite go be back to normal eating yet. I shouldn't have meat or milk for 2 weeks. I can hold off on the meat but not having milk will be difficult. I'll have to at least add some to my coffee.

Ok, enough about food. Only 2 more days!!!

Days 4, 5 and 6...continuing to persevere

R and I came to stay with me for the weekend on their way back to Africa. They were up in Chiang Mai visiting their daughter A. It's too bad it was this weekend, there was lots of good food to eat! They planned to go to a buffet dinner at a nice hotel nearby. I went along for the company. It looked like a great buffet, much nicer than other hotels I've seen. Then R and N invited us to dinner last night after the mtg. I went along again for the company. This time is was a Lebanese place. It all looked so good. sigh. But, I persevered. I've come too far to cheat. And one slip would ruin the whole thing. And both those places will always be there.

Good results though! My intestines are responding well. And I've also lost a few pounds, not sure how much. I forgot to weigh myself before I started. My energy level is low though. Saturday after service (which was walking a lot in the heat) I came home and took a nap for nearly 2 hours. Yesterday I felt good but it was an easy day, thank goodness. Today is easy too. I took a nap in the afternoon and then did some pilates in the evening. I've been feeling a bit weak in my low back and pilates always helps. Tues-Thurs that are my busy days, no time for naps. We'll see how it goes.

Days 2 and 3...still going strong

Great news! I didn't get a headache yesterday and I don't have one now. I'm still feeling pretty good. My energy level stayed strong yesterday but today it took a bit of a dive. I could've slept most of the afternoon. (Although, that could also be because of the heat, it's getting really hot. It was in the low 90s and sunny today.) But my energy was back up for my meeting tonight.

So the first 3 days are over. Yipee! It hasn't been as bad as I'd imagined. The lemonade drink is good and I don't feel super hungry, just kinda hungry. And I've been able to keep up with my routine just fine. The worst part is the salt water in the morning. But the results are good enough to motivate me to drink it down every morning. Ahhhh, to be clean!

Day 1...Success

Yesterday I only ate raw fruits and veggies. No coffee. I felt ok for most of the day but had a bad headache by the evening. Went to bed early.

I woke up this morning feeling good. The lemonade drink isn't so bad, no problems getting it down. I was really feeling good about things around 1:00. No major hunger pains, energy level good-actually better than yesterday. Then came 3:00. I was tired and struggling for energy. I got home around 5:00 and had another drink. I was doing good till about an hour ago. The headache is back in full force and my energy is ZERO. Good thing it's time for bed.

All in all, it's been a good day and I feel positive about being able to complete it. But they say it's the first 3 days that's the hardest...we'll see how tomorrow goes.

The Master Cleanse

Otherwise known as the Lemonade Diet. Every morning starts with 30 oz of salt water. That gives your intestines a good scrub down. Then the lemonade. It's a concoction of 2 oz of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1/10th of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper mixed into 10 oz of water. You're supposed to drink 4-6 classes of that each day. No food. I'm gonna do it! I need a cleanse! Tomorrow I'll prepare myself a bit, only raw fruits and veggies for the day. Then Wednesday I'll start. It's 10 days long and then after the cleanse you can't go straight back to eating normal. It'll be soups and juices for another 3 days. Sigh. I can do it. I can do it! I CAN DO IT! I am kinda nervous. I know I'll be feeling tired and cranky a lot. But I can do it! And headaches for at least the first 3 days. But I can do it! I'll keep thinking about all the benefits. A clean colon! More energy! A strong sense of accomplishment! And maybe, just maybe I'll loose a few pounds and the Thais will call me skinny! I won't count on it but one can dream. Ha Ha

Anyone have a good experience cleansing? Please share!

Ahhh...the islands

So I had to take an overnight bus down to Krabi. The bus is way cheaper but it's 11 hours in a chair that doesn't really recline. Fortunately I had the row of 2 seats to myself but still didn't sleep well. Not a great start to a morning where I have to interpret part of the Wt. That's what holy spirit is for. The meeting went well, 8 deaf came. They usually have at least 1 or 2 so it was impressive that 8 came. The congregation in Krabi has about 40 publishers and the KH is small. We all barely fit in the back. It's always fun visiting the smaller groups. The deaf are not so accustomed to the meetings yet so they often talk a lot, correct the interpreter if they don't understand a sign. And there's always a leader, usually one of the older ones. Krabi was no exception. There's an older man who freely tells us when he was younger he won a beauty contest when he used to be a ladyboy. Apparently now he's bored with the whole ladyboy thing. Not sure. Some things you just don't want to know. Here's a photo of a local sister and a little girl learning Thai sign, K, and the deaf girl who's studying.

So Sunday around 3:30 K and I took the ferry to Koh Phi Phi. We stayed in a nice bungalow that is up a hill a bit (thought we'd be safe if a tsunami came). Monday morning K went to search for a spot to snorkel and I laid by the pool (hadn't slept well the night before because of loud music and still hadn't recovered from the bus ride). I got some nice photos from the pool side. Around 11am we switched to another place, a bit cheaper and quieter. Around 2pm we went to the Spidermonkey rock climbing office. Rock climbing was on the other side of the bay, about a 20-minute walk. Neither of us had climbed before and weren't sure what to expect. We weren't really given much instruction. A few others in the group had climbed before so we watched them first. It ended up being really fun but really hard! It was often hard to get a good grip with my hands. The instructor finally told me to depend more on my feet. They give you special shoes to wear with the toe area being shaped so that you can get just the tiniest grip on the rock and push yourself up. They also help with the rope in giving you a strong pull. By then my arms were really tired so I still struggled but I felt good about how I did. There were about 5 or 6 climbs set up and I tried each of them. I only made it to the very top once. The others I made it usually 2/3rd of the way. K made it to the top every time except that last one which was the hardest (that's the only I didn't attempt, I was really tired by then). Everyone was really impressed with her. By the time we finished our arms felt like rubber but it was really great and we both thought we'd love to try it again. You can see the photos of climbing on the photos on the right of the blog page. Here are a few photos of our view from our room the first night and also from where we were climbing.

K has always got witnessing on her mind. She came with a bunch of magazines and placed them all by the end of the day. It's not hard actually to bring it up. The locals are always impressed with how well she speaks Thai and ask her how long she's lived here and why she moved here. She would also ask if there were any deaf on the island. We were told there's a deaf lady who sells fruit at a market so K made the search and found her. We had a bit more time after climbing so we went to find her and had a great conversation. She never went to school so she can't read or write. Her sign is ok but she can still communicate well. She can read lips for basic words and seems to have her own style of communication with her husband, who is hearing, and other family. She has a sad story. She had a 4 year old son, who was also deaf. One day she had given him some money to go buy a snack. He went off and that's when the tsunami came. She looked around for him as she was running up a hill but never found him. She told us the story with tears in her eyes. We had given her the Enjoy Life brochure and showed her the picutre of the resurrection and explained how in the future she could see her son again. She seemed to understand. We were really glad to have met her and really enjoyed talking to her. Hopefully we'll have an opportunity to visit her again.

The next morning we left the island at 8am. We first took a speed boat to Koh Lanta and waited there for an hour for a bigger boat. Koh Lanta is where I went with Will, Nat and Shonda last year. I didn't recognize anything, we were on the opposite side of where we had stayed. The next boat took about 3 hours, it stopped at several islands to let people out. It was really cool to see all the different islands! We passed another one I had stayed at with Jackie and Alex when they were here several years ago. So K and I were planning our next trip as we were passing all those islands. We also had really great conversation. I also got a bit sunburned-doh! Here's a few of the islands we saw along the way.



We eventually stopped at a pier in Trang which is the province K lives in. After waiting around an hour we finally got in a van to Trang city. That took another 35 minutes and we finally arrived at her place around 3pm.

The next day we went in service and in the afternoon K has a Bible study with 5 deaf - an older lady (who seems to be kind of the leader of them), a couple and 2 men (the wife of the couple wasn't there that day). They all really like K and call her 'the teacher'. None of them have been to school so their signs can be tricky to understand. But K has brilliantly drawn some picutres to explain different Bible teachings and they seem to have a basic understanding. Really nice to see! Here's a photo of them.

I left Wednesday night on the train and arrived Thursday morning. It was a quick trip but well worth it! K is always so refreshing to be with and of course being on a beautiful island is always amazing. My next trip might be to the south again but for the circuit assembly. It'll be in Surat which is on the mainland near Koh Samui.

Btw: I'm thinking about doing the Master Cleanse or Lemonade Diet. Anyone have experience with this? Anyone up for a cleanse?

Uninspired

Two weeks have gone by and I've been mostly uninspired to write. No particular reason. There's lots going on so I guess I've just been consumed with day to day stuff.

I did make it to watch the Superbowl Monday morning. Had to get up at 5:30am and to the pub at 6am. It was worth it! What a great game! The place we went to was just ok. There were a lot of Americans of course. The place I'd previously gone to for football games was charging 500 baht (apprx $15) to watch the game, buffet breakfast and 2 beers. Kinda pricey but I would've gone for it if the others I was with were up for it. But they weren't so we went to another place that was 400 baht. Oh well. It was a good time. I'll definitely do it again next year!

Saturday night I'm heading to Krabi to meet up with K at the Krabi cong to help with interpreting. After the meeting K and I are heading to Koh Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee). Neither of us have been there before. It's one of the most popular islands among foreigners. It was also badly damaged by the tsunami in 2004. But I'm sure everything is rebuilt now. It'll be interesting to see. We're thinking about rock climbing, something I've always thought would be cool. We'll be there 2 nights then back to K's in Trang Tuesday. I'll head back to Bangkok Wednesday night on the night train. Quick trip but I'm always up for some beach time!

Hmmm

It was official as of the new year. Our sign group has now separated from the Thai cong and meeting on our own. We have all the meetings in sign, it's been fantastic! There's such a difference in the comprehension of the deaf. We're also having great attendance. I think we'll be our own cong soon.

There's a new couple from New York that just arrived last week to help our group. This week there's a Japanese couple (the husband is deaf) arriving. And in 2 weeks there are 2 sisters also from New York to join us for 3 months. Lots of activity going on!

On a completely different subject, thought I would share a funny little tidbit with you. Thai names are quite difficult, even for Thais. So everyone has a nickname. They can be kinda funny. For instance, I work with one lady named Meow. In my cong is Golf, Boom and Bum. Bum is married to Dang...it just goes on and on. Every name means something. Golf's dad liked to play golf. Meow's mom must have liked cats. Boom, Bum and Dang are related to Thai words. Well, I've met Beer. You read that right, Beer. It's spelled exactly that way (I double checked). I asked him why that was his name. The answer: his dad likes beer. However, the unfortunate contradiction is that Beer does not like beer. Sigh. I wish my name was Elliot Ness or Ginny. Hey! Wait! I could be Al!

Photos

I finally uploaded my photos from the north. There are a lot! Here are a few highlights.


Here we are on our Finos in the country.


K and I after the race.

I'm now back in Bkk. Kinda sad to leave the mountains and cool air of the north. But it'll always be there for me to visit. I really loved hanging out with G, A and C especially. They are such a great family! C calls me Auntie Julie, so cute! I feel like I also got to know the city of CM a bit better. I explored a lot on my own with the Fino. It's definitely a place I could live!