Blink and a Lifetime

I am sitting at my desk, staring at this screen, and not knowing how to convey the crazy mix of emotions I feel right now. I guess we should just start with the basics. It is July 30th, which means I have spent 11 weeks in Thailand, with only 1 week left. What has happened in 11 weeks? More than I could ever hope to write. I feel as if I have been here my whole life. It seems like it was a lifetime ago when I arrived. Yet, at the same time I just blinked and this adventure is coming to an end. How is that possible?

This past week I pushed out all thoughts of leaving and really focused on the kids. We had such a great time in all of our classes and I learned so much. I cannot describe my love for these children. I obviously am not a mother, and I do not play a motherly role here, so I wouldn't compare it to the parent-child kind of love. But it also is a very different relationship than that of a sibling or a great friend. I don't know how to describe it (and all readers are probably as thoroughly confused as I am now), but just know that it goes deep. My relationships here have molded me into the person I am now.

I had to say goodbye to my host family on Saturday morning. That was pretty rough. They are so much fun and really have taken such good care of me on the weekends. They took me and Meredith to a local night market on Friday night. We were doing a little shopping as we walked around the market. We stopped at a little stand and greeted the man, and he replied with what at first seemed like overly big gestures. Then my host sister said, "ohhh, he can't speak because he is deaf". I looked at him and "said" hello, introduced myself, and had a basic conversation with him in sign language. I  have learned basic sign here on the farm as it is used as a bridge between English and Thai (Thai sign is almost the same as ASL) and there are a number of deaf students. Being able to communicate with this man was just so....powerful. When there was no language barrier between us, we were really able to share a special moment of human connection. And this summer I have found that this life is really about human connection. That silent conversation taught me a lot. It also confirmed to me (for the millionth time) that language is critical. I am very determined now to practice foreign(including sign) languages until I am fluent. Being able to communicate with people is so important. I know that man was so appreciative that I could sign. It was an amazing experience. I guess words cannot describe the way it felt.

The rest of my weekend I spent exploring Chiang Mai and hitting up the markets. I did some things with friends and coworkers, but I generally did my own thing. And I really loved it. It was the last time I would be able to be in Chiang Mai, and I loved being able to discover things at my own pace and have no time restraints. It was an amazing last weekend in the city.

I love this farm with my whole heart and soul. This is my last week, and I am going to take advantage of every second I have here. We are going to have a small goodbye party on Thursday night with a campfire (which hopefully means one last good jungle dance) and I will be teaching the art of S'mores. But other than that, this week will stick to the normal order. Whether or not I leave, life goes on, so no need to make a big fuss, right? haha Easier said than done. I am sure there are still lots of adventures to come!

Peace.

Wednesdays and Dragonflies

I have learned a lot since being here. I have learned some really deep lessons about the universality of human nature. I have learned how to teach and more importantly how to learn. I have learned more about Thai culture than I could in any class. I have learned practical skills like farming, gardening, and cooking. But would you like to know a couple of the lessons that I will never forget?

1.       Never cut your hair on a Wednesday. It is bad luck according to Thais. There is a small dog here on the farm that really just doesn’t belong. She is one of those small dogs that has long curly hair (it used to be white until it was stained red from the soil)…let’s be honest and say that she is not a farm dog. Her fur has been all matted and nasty so Amy wanted to take her to the groomer and get her properly cleaned and shaved. We drove all over the city looking for a shop but for some reason they were all mysteriously closed. We found one only after searching for 45 minutes. It was Wednesday and the dog got her hair cut. No joke, the next week she got worms and now is super sick…like deathly sick. Unrelated you may say? It’s debatable. But from now on I will never get my hair cut on Wednesdays.

2.       One night Amy and I decided to combine our evening English classes so our students could learn some songs and games together. Amy was teaching a song and I noticed that some of the boys were being disruptive and not paying attention in the back. As a teacher-team I took it upon myself to go get them to be respectful and to participate. Well when I went over there the boys were laughing hysterically except for one, who was grimacing in pain. The boy in pain was lifting his shirt up and holding something against his stomach. You could imagine my confusion. I looked closer and realized he was holding a dragonfly to his bellybutton and it was biting him! When I pressed the boys as to why he was doing this I was told (with a lot of hand gestures) that according to some Burmese tribes, if a dragonfly bites you in the stomach you will become a very good swimmer. And so the boys took turns having the dragonfly bite their bellybuttons. I completely lost it. I don’t think I have laughed that hard…ever. They offered me a chance to become a better swimmer, but I declined. I think I’ll just have to practice on my own without the help of the large jaws of a dragonfly. Unfortunately I don’t think I helped out Amy at all in the moment, but like I said earlier, this was a lesson I will never forget. :)

Everything is going really well on the farm. Everyday something new happens. There were a couple of days that I spent really sick. Almost everyone in my BYU group got sick after our Laos trip. Must have been something we ate/drank. But thankfully I seem to be over it now.

Teaching is going great. I am so sad to think about how little time I have left, but I keep avoiding that subject if at all possible. It nearly broke my heart to buy my plane ticket from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. But I know I eventually have to come home.

I have been having an interesting diet lately. I ate blood soup the other day. It is exactly what it sounds like. Chicken blood. Not a fan. I also had grasshoppers and termites at a party this last weekend. They were salty and crunchy…almost like potato chips…but not as enjoyable. If you can get over the fact that they are big insects they aren’t too bad. But with that said, I will never go out of my way to have them again.

Last weekend I saw Thai boxing for the first time and it blew my mind! I am actually slightly disappointed that I didn’t go before. It was so crazy! First of all it was super intense; the way they hit and kick each other was mind blowing. And at the beginning of the fights I didn’t know how I felt about it…it was just so violent and to watch a body take a blow like that…but it is very different than the American style of boxing. Throughout the whole fight the boxers would be smiling at each other or laughing, or bowing. They were really having a good time and they respected each other. That was really cool to see. And after I realized that, it was so much fun to watch them fight with so much power and force. We did see a couple of knockouts which was scary for me (with my personal experience of concussions and the sorts). But I really had a good time. Hopefully I will be able to see another couple of fights before I leave.

The adventures just keep coming. I stepped on a big snake the other night; somehow we ended up with a baby peacock on the farm; I learned how to make a number of Thai dishes this week; etc etc. I haven’t had a good internet connection for a very long time now. It doesn’t bother me very much, but I know everyone at home gets a tad bit worried when I don’t respond or have any contact with them. But I am in very good hands here, my body is still strong, and I am still having the time of my life. Hopefully I will get internet soon so I can post this.

Til my next adventure!

Peace out!

The Mighty Mekong

The whole gang of BYU kiddos had to make a Visa run this last week. So our program decided to make a trip out of it. And what a trip it became.

We ended up on a long slow boat cruising on the grand Mekong River. The views were incredible. When I wasn't taking a nap, reading, or enjoying the fun company of my friends, I would get lost deep in thought. It was so peaceful and relaxing.

After a full day of boating, we docked at this tiny little city called Pak Beng (no idea if that is how you spell it). Getting out of the touristy area, Erin, Eden, Jenna, and I went on adventure following the one road of the town. We met some very friendly locals and had a grand ol' time. We also met a smiling group of children. We stopped to talk, but with no one saying anything, we just stood there for about 5 minutes, everyone smiling at everyone. Then we decided to keep going on our walk. When we turned back for dinner we ran into the kids again. This time they ran over to us, with more confidence, and one of the girls reached out for my sunglasses. I let her put them on and snapped a quick picture. We invented quite the game. All of the kids wanted their turn with my glasses. So we took pictures, taught them how to give high-fives, and enjoyed each others' company for awhile.

The small girl who started it all :)

After dinner the same crew, as well as our new-found friend Marcella, hit up the only bar in town. They gave us all free shots. And only Marcella drinks alcohol. So that was pretty funny. But they played some good music and we had a fun dance party in the bar.

The next day was also spent on the boat. I will be posting more pictures on my facebook from this trip, but even the pictures don't do it justice. That evening we pulled into Louang Prabang. After eating a nice meal, taking in the views, and checking out the markets I decided that this was an awesome city. The cobblestone sidewalks and endless amount of baguettes (both a result of French colonization) were very much enjoyed.
I did have the unfortunate experience of standing in a nest of these tiny red ants that I have never seen in Thailand. Anyways, before I realized it, my foot was on fire and a old store keeper was pulling me out of the area and helping me brush them off. I was in pain and let's be honest, feeling really dumb. But this woman took me by the hands, led me to her desk, and started administering some sort of medical cream/gel on my feet. For this woman to rub her hands all over my dirty feet (keeping in mind she is Buddhist)...I just felt so much love. It was an act of kindness that I will not soon forget. With that said, my foot still hurt and became swollen. Back at my hotel room I counted dozens of bites. Thankfully when I woke up the next morning my foot wasn't super swollen, just a tad bit sore.

But if I was feeling sorry for myself, that quickly was replaced with amazement when we went to the waterfalls. Simply breathtaking. It was so gorgeous. Plus, there was a rope swing and plenty of places to jump off the falls. Let's just say I was in heaven.

The rest of my time in Laos was spent exploring and relaxing. I fed monks in the early mornings, ate really good Western food  (but unfortunately made me rather sick at some points...let's hope that doesn't happen when I come home), and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The emotions I felt while flying into Chiang Mai were very similar to those that I feel when I am about to land in Portland. This is my second home. I had a great time in Laos, but I am ecstatic to be back. I really missed my younger brothers and sisters and my co workers, and I am so happy to be with them again!

Til the next adventure,

Peace.