digging for gold, or, eww, gross

It's Monday, and i am helping to proctor exams. So far i have seen three people pick their noses. And not the kind of discreet nose picking when you feel as if something is about to fall out of your nostril during an important meeting. No, this is the full-on, finger-in-to-the-second-knuckle-kind of digging for gold. It's gross and funny, all at the same time. Maybe taking tests is like being in a car; by virtue of driving or writing an exam, one feels invisible and therefore capable of doing whatever without being seen. Yep, in case you couldn't tell, I am dangerously bored. [sigh]

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naturally, people who ride bikes are called cyclists and those who ride motorcycles are called bikers.

On Sunday, I took myself to Chiang Mai, the city that is about 35 km away. I rode there on the motorcycle, by myself, on the left hand side of the road, without killing myself. It was actually kinda fun. That is, besides the fact that I went around the block 3 times just to get to the mall--apparently one must drive aggressively in the city. I am not much of an aggressive driver. I will either learn, or become used to missing my turn and going 'round in circles forever. In other news, I bought a cell phone. And it has a built-in flashlight. Remind me again why we don't have these ingenious things in the United States. Hmm, that's right, we are concerned with features like Bluetooth and video capture. Ha. Just kidding. I am unabashedly a nerd and I like phones with crazy features. But who can beat the simple utility of a flashlight? And if you get bored, feel free to call. I'm pretty sure you can use Skype or something for super cheap. Here are my digits: 011-66-810200203. I am 11 hours ahead of the East Coast and 8 hours ahead of the West Coast; translation: as much as I like all the people that read my blog, I may be a little cross if you call me at three in the morning. Expect random phone calls from me, whenever I get the chance/shell out for the phone cards.

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the hawg

This is me. Oh yeah, I had to get a haircut. I forgot to mention that, I think.

This is my hawg. Crappy paint job, I know. Some students tried to improve what they thought was an old-looking bike. They probably shouldn't persue a career in auto detailing. In the end, I suppose it is the thought that counts. It doesn't have a name yet. Maybe one will come to me.


This is me on my hawg. This bike is how I get around. Without it, I am not sure what I would do. The nearest town with a bank is about twenty minutes away--Mae Malai. The closest city is about seventy minutes away--Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand. Translation: I am about two lefts from the middle of nowhere, and without the bike, I would likely turn into a vegetable of some sort, most likely a beet. Yuck. Granted I haven't driven a motorcycle regularly before. But I am discovering that I really enjoy it. The gas mileage certainly leaves no bitter feelings. Maybe I should buy a motorcycle/scooter when I return home...

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teaching

Some people have been wondering how teaching has been going for me. So after almost two weeks, here the synopsis:

Chiang Mai Adventist Academy is a boarding school with around 680 students. After asking around, it seems like that number includes the boarding elementary school as well. It's pretty amazing that you can be a boarding student from grade one through grade twelve. I can't imagine leaving home at age 6--good grief!

Mayatom (where I teach) covers grades 7-12 and each class is divided into 3 sections according to grades--section one is the best, section two is mediocre, and section three has the worst students. I often ask myself, "Are they poor students because they are in the third section or are they in the third section because they are poor students?" It doesn't seem right to me, but who knows, maybe it builds character.

There are eight periods every day and I teach between three and five of these periods. Well, I wouldn't say teach exactly. Since I don't speak Thai and I am not a certified teacher, I team teach with other instructors. In some classes, I assist teachers with their activities; these are my favorite because it feels like I am helping students work toward learning something--like I am an important part of a plan. In other classes, I am essentially the teacher. I have to come up with activities that get students involved with using English. That part I can handle. However, making sure that my activities are useful/relevant is difficult. In these classes there is no overarching plan to guide the scholars. I run about like a little dutch boy, trying to stop all the leaks in the dike with my fingers, all the while knowing that I am doing very little.

Either way, it is certainly good practice for going to Bangkok and teaching by myself

This is the week before exams. I am excited to be able to travel a little bit. And plan for my classes as well. Not to mention seeing other SMs. It will be good.

Peas.

snapshots (to catch you up, dear reader)

I sleep fitfully on my last leg of the trip, no, journey to Chiang Mai. So many questions buzz in my head. I try to distract myself with music, but it fails miserably. So I decide to confront them. Am I really going to live 10,000 miles from home? Yes. Can I live 10,000 miles from home? I am not sure but I will soon find out. I have never taught English--can I do it? Only time will tell. How will I live as the only SM my age? I'll find out.
We land in Chiang Mai and I breeze through Immigration. Standing in front of the baggage claim belt, I wait. And I wait. Then, I wait some more. I am brought to the realization that my bags are lost somewhere, hopefully on this side of the Pacific. Luckily, I brought a change of clothes. Little do I know (what a great phrase--you would have to see the movie) that the clothes have to last me till Sunday. Today is Thursday.

They drive on the left side of the road in Thailand! I had absolutely no idea. I have a feeling that it will take me a long time to learn to drive my motorcycle without maiming myself.

I look at my watch. It's three am. Eventually, I doze off.
I look at my watch again. Now it's four am. I lay on my back and sigh. Finally after what seems like an eternity, I fall back asleep.
Awake again. I look at my watch; five-thirty stares back at me. This time I just lay there until the sun comes up. Here there is no sunrise. It's dark and then it's light; I never jump out of bed like the sun. I hear its bad luck.

I guess these are the joys of jetlag. Arrgh! Today is Friday.

I wake up at three o'clock in the morning (are you sensing a trend?). There is no going back to sleep. As the dark morning passes, I begin to realize where I am and conjecture about what I've gotten myself into. I am overwhelmed. Very much so. I being to think about how fast I can pack. And if there is enough money in my account to buy a ticket home. Since I haven't recieved my luggage, packing would be easy. And I have just enough to purchase one-way passage to Boston. At least, I think so.

As thoughts swirl around my brain, I realize I am edging ever closer to panic. I pray and I tell God exactly what is going on in my mind--as if he already doesn't know. After praying, I fill my ears with The Chronicles of Narnia (thanks, Alan). My troubled mind relaxes as I am drawn into the familiar story of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. After a time, I fall asleep. Praise the Lord. Today is Sabbath.

I am sitting in church with my boss and his wife. We have been lucky these past few days as there is a pastor visiting from Andrews. His name is Chester and he is loud-spoken and friendly. Actually, as I find out, he is the voice of Uncle Dan from Your Story Hour. So I should revise that--he speaks loudly, is friendly, and enunciates very well. Not to mention being a wise and thoughtful fellow who was a missionary to Thailand in the 60s.

He uses me as an object lesson in his sermon. he talked about leaning on someone more powerful than him as an analogy for leaning on Jesus. He invited me to the front and leaned on me. It spoke powerfully to my heart. Such a simple idea, but lifesaving in practice--especially for an SM who is slightly overwhelmed and a little homesick.

Thai potluck. Sweet mercy, these people can eat! I wish I had brought my camera. The pavilion outside of the church is replete with church members, teachers from the school, and the newly baptized members. And everyone brings food. Dishes of rice, noodles, chicken, fish, vegetables, curries, fruits, and strange crunchy things, along with others I don't recognize, pack the table. I eat. I eat very well.I eat my very first papaya salad. Sweet and tangy and spicy mixed up together, storming the tongue all at once. So delicious. Thai food is very delicious. Aahaan thai aroi maak khrap.

อาหารไทยอร่อยมากครับ

I practice this phrase in Thai. I live this phrase in Thai

oh, to be 5'3" again, or, are we there yet?

Shoot, I had an entire post composed, and then my blogging client crashed, tossing the whole thing into some digital void. Arrgh!! I will try to remember the highlights.

I have been traveling for twenty-five hours. Eighteen of those hours in planes of varying degrees of spaciousness. Particularly the last flight from Seattle, thirteen hours and the least space of all. Unlike my fellow passengers, I was the only one with my knees jammed into the seatback in front of me. Oh, to be 5'3" again! Regardless of cramped conditions, I am excited to be on an adventure. And excited to already be in a place where I can't understand the language; Taipei is foggy and humid, although that may stem from the fact that I am enjoying free internet alongside a steamy noodle shop. (And by steamy, I don't mean risqué--gosh!)

In fact, I may go find myself a little something to eat. Maybe from the steamy noodle shop, who knows?

One flight left to go. Are we there yet? Nope. Patience, grasshopper, patience.

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time waits for no man

I am laying in bed realizing that there are but 42 short hours until I leave. I am not ready. I repeat, I am not ready. But I did finish my SM letter. Here is a copy. Any feedback is appreciated, especially if you are an astute grammarian.

Time for bed. Peas.