2/16/11
I’m reluctant to write a blog, but I guess I will.
Not sure where the reluctance is coming from. I guess I don’t feel like I have a lot to say. I also am not sure what you want to read on here. Likely you would like to know about my experience in each location since this is a rare journey where I get to peak into 11 different cultures just long enough that I start to feel like I am getting a grasp of what is going on.
Maybe it’s that the excitement is starting to wear. I remember taking a lot of pictures in month one and month two and then forcing myself to take pictures in month three.
The world is starting to get smaller. There’s nothing new under the sun, as Ecclesiastes would be sure to remind you. Yeah, cultures and norms differ, but I’m starting to realize the differences are not as large as I initially thought.
It seems the places we go, you don’t have to search too hard to find the westernized part of society. You can get a coke anywhere you want, it’s just that in the third world you’ll be able to buy it for a lot cheaper if you opt for the glass bottle (and be sure to return it afterwards – that’s why it’s cheaper because they will continue to reuse them).
You can get the internet usually within an hour of wherever you are. Plus, once the internet is available you will often find places like McDonalds, Pizza Hut (which happens to be a very nice restaurant here – people even propose to their girlfriends at Pizza Hut), or KFC.
It seems strange to me, but McDonald’s is the expensive choice. If you go to a little local set up, you’ll get a great authentic meal which is usually very delicious, very filling, and much healthier for about one dollar.
There’s a lot of white people in Thailand, many Germans and Americans, it seems. I only include that because for the first four months of the Race it was rare for me to run into white people I didn’t know, but now it’s a regular occurance.
Also, many Thai people want to be whiter, which is strange coming from America. They sell whitening cream which would be similar to our fake-bake, I guess. Instead of turning a weird orange color they are a strange powdery-white. Grass is always greener, huh?
As far as ministry, we’re almost done building the chicken coup. I learned that when you use a drill (rare privelge for us), right afterward the screw gets really hot! I know this because I – for whatever reason – touched it immediately afterward and now have the imprint of a screw on my forefinger. I guess I’m still learning new lessons each day, don’t touch hot things. You’d think I’d have learned that a while ago, but somtimes I have to relearn the hard lessons over and over.
It’s harder to connect with the girls this month. Being that I speak no Thai, there’s a lot of smiles and plenty of Uno playing, but beyond that it’s hard to communicate. There are two older girls that seem to like me. They look for me each night and have tried to teach me some Thai. I can’t hear the difference from when I say something correctly and when I say it incorrectly.
One final note, it’s surprising how nice it is to sleep in your own tent for the simple fact that I have my own space. It’s also surprising how refreshing a bucket shower can be when you’re covered with dirt and you know that’s the only way you can get clean.
Well, I think that was pretty good for not having a lot to say.
