Laos... the Trip and the City

The trip was awful.  We took an 8 hour bus ride to northern Thailand to a city called Udon Thani, waited for an hour and caught the next bus which took us to the Laos border.  We then proceeded to go through the customs lines and such.  Our purpose was to get a Thai visa so we can stay in Thailand for a year without having to exit or leave the country again.  Well, it was 1030pm and we were worried that we wouldn't be able to make it through the border.  We didn't have a Laotian Visa!  But, we made it through because, and it was a miracle because no office should be open that late!

So, we made it to the border, got stamped and everything and then realized we had no

 transportation to the hotel.  There were only two tuk-tuks at the place and their prices was extremely expensive, but we had no more energy to barter for prices.  Plus, what were we going to do?  Say no and wait for the next one to come around?  We jumped in the tuk-tuk and enjoyed the twenty minute ride into town.  It was fun to see Laos, except it wasn't much different than Thailand.  But still, a new place!  We were awfully tired, so we just checked in to the hotel, which only cost $15 dollars (American) a night!  

I was exhausted, but I told myself everything would be okay.  When I noticed that there were numerous tiny black bugs in the bed, I wanted to cry.  And, it didn't help that I thought the shower was for midgets!!  I had to crouch down in a cold shower.  It was not a fun experience.  I cuddled up to Leah the whole night, I was barely in the covers because I feared waking with my body infested with foreign bugs.  

Tuesday was better.  We met up with the other SMs from Bangkok!  Yay! We had just seen them last week, and we were blessed to see our friends again!  So, we all journeyed the visa process together.  The line was huge!  We got to the embassy half an hour early and were already really far back in the line.  The line was filled with angry people, it didn't help that it was super sunny and hot!  The gates opened fifteen minutes late and everyone started pushing their way through the the four foot doorway.  The fact that a line had formed didn't occur to

some people!  Oh well, we made it through and got our paperwork finished!

 

Then, we had to go in another building- this one was air conditioned. That was nice, but it was such a tiny room and it was filled with too many people.  This was the place where you paid for your visa.  The little lady at the desk called out your name.  I swear she whispered the names.  The people in the room did not seem to care if they hear their name!  Every time she called out a name, I did not understand her. I kept looking at Leah, trying to see if she understood what the lady was saying, her face was a expressing everything I was feeling!  We waited and waited, finally my name was called.  And it wasn't even my name, she called ASHLEY.  Weird, but it worked.  Everyone paid and everything was okay.  

Next, we had to spend the rest of the day wandering the streets of Laos in search of food and entertainment.  We went to the local mall, bought some mini muffins! Yum, and looked at all the overpriced blankets and DVDs.  We chilled at the hotel for the rest of the day (Leah and I moved across the street to join the other SMs in their NICE hotel with hot showers and clean beds). We all read or talked about music.. it was fun hanging out!

 

That night we went out to eat, found a burger place, got some food, ate... it was good, but really expensive!  Oh well, "It's all about the food", as Mark Velasco says... I've got to eat somehow!

And, there were absolutely no Seven Elevens, which was devastation to us because that's what we live off!  The next day, we finished up the details of our visas by picking them up at the embassy, and heading back to Thailand.  We were glad to be leaving Laos, we all missed Thailand!

"You have TWO hours... MOVE!"

We had just settled into our home again in Ubon.  We spent most of Saturday adjusting by washing our clothes and catching up on our much needed sleep.  Sunday rolled around and we were not ready!  We were not prepared at all.  Since the other teachers left after the last term, Leah and I are expected now to teach all day.  Sundays are our longest teaching days... from 8-3.  I don't think I'll get used to it!!  Sundays are for the preparation... oh well, no use trying to change things here!

Sunday was interesting, I had no idea what classes I was teaching until five minutes before and each class lasts two hours! Yikes... Thai culture can really teach you how to become a good last minute planner!!  The day finally ended and we were exhausted.  Monday morning, bright and early PNee called me on the phone to tell me that we were leaving the country to renew our visas! We had two hours to take a shower and get ready to leave the country for a couple of days!!  Thai culture also teaches you how to pack last minute...

Saying Goodbye to Chiang Mai

On our last day in Chiang Mai, Leah and I enjoyed a walk down the old brick roads and made our way through the city one last time.  What was about to happen to us would have made us reconsider how we had spent the last twenty four hours!

We got the bus station and were waiting patiently for our bus.  A few minutes before we were going to be getting on our bus, we noticed that the ticket read for the previous day.... we had just missed our bus by 24 hours!  We panicked and quickly tried to find a solution to our problem.  They only way were going to get home, was to buy a ticket, which meant spending another 500 baht... we were upset, but glad that we found two seats on the next bus, which left five hours later!  It was awful sitting in the bus terminal.  It was hot and I had to keep constant watch on our luggage.  The books we bought earlier came in hand, I read a lot of pages waiting for that bus.  Thank you Nicolas Sparks, you made the time fly by!  We finally got to Ubon midday on Saturday.  We were exhausted and tired of traveling!  We just wanted our beds and a long shower!!  If only we had known that there was so much more traveling to come...

Crazy English Majors

It was time to say good bye.  The other SMs were heading back to Bangkok, and Leah and I were staying in Chiang Mia for a few more days.  
We were going to have some fun of our own!  But, it was very sad to say good bye to them!  We missed them so much!  We said goodbye to them as they rode in a red taxi to the local train station.  

Leah and I went crazy on our own.  There are plenty of used book stores in Chiang Mia, so Leah and I took off and spent too much time in money there.  We searched for every 

possible used bookstore.  I was

desperate to find as many books as I could in the 'Less than 100 Baht' sections... which is 3 dollars or less.  Yay!  I found plenty of books to last me for a very very long time.  I was very happy with myself!  

So, Leah and I were our typical selves: drinking coffee and browsing through tons of used book stores.  We were completely content with roaming the city and doing crazy poses in front of people that looked at us as if we were purple people.  Oh well, I'll never see them again.  We were obsessed to see as much of the city as possible before we left.  We trekked fr

om the northern part to the southern part without even knowing it! There were lots of beautiful Temples, they looked so different from the ones in Ubon or Bangkok.  The temples in C.M. appeared more decorative with jeweled roofs and larger buildings.  Ubon's temples seem smaller and  more simple.  We gawked at every temple we passed.  

Elephant Riding in the Mountains

Our tour went straight from taking a walk through the rice fields and waterfalls to a delicious lunch.  The food was delicious. Mildly spicy potato soups and sweet and sour veggies.  The food was incredible.  It's hard to find good Thai food that isn't spicy... We all thoroughly enjoyed the food, we were starved from hiking for half the day.  

Then, we got to experience one of the most amazing things ever! We got to ride some elephants!  These elephants were amazing, and not to mention very HAIRY!! They trekked up steep hills through the mountains like it was a breeze!  They are truly wondrous creatures, so strong and brute!!

Wow, God is amazing.  And, the mountains were gorgeous, of course.  

Leah and I were laughing the whole time.  We were constantly touching the prickly hairs on the elephant's back.  It was so much fun.  And, I got to ride the elephant without a saddle!  It was just my body against the spiky hairs of the elephant's neck.  It was so much fun!  I didn't care that he stank or that he sprayed me with water from his trunk from time to time, I was just enjoying the view and the elephant.  God is so amazing to create such beautiful things for us to enjoy!

Beautiful Mountains

Ziplinning is a hard thing to beat, when it comes to fun!  But, Wednesday was the day that I realized just how beautiful Thailand is!  We all went on a tour and hiked through the jungle of the Chiang Mai Mountians!  This is Leah and I posing in front of a waterfall. It was spectacular!!

Our tour consisted of walking amongst rice fields and over rivers!  Crossing over the river was scary because their "bridges" were not all that great: just a few large branches strung together with flimsy rope... I'm glad I didn't fall in!

The mountains are gorgeous!  I could not keep my eyes on the path as we traveled by foot.  The mountains were an amazing sight, the sky was so blue and the clouds were breathtaking!  I felt like is in a movie..

ZIPLINNING through the JUNGLE!!!!

It was amazing!  I was quite scared though; I’d have to say.  I’m not a big fan of heights.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  We made our way through the jungle, on 18 landings, which were up in the trees.  That means that I had to zip on 18 different wires to get from tree to tree.  Being scared wasn’t an option for me!

I got used to flying from tree to tree.  But, there were three drops where the people working with us had to lower us.  They had fun with this.  They controlled how fast we would drop, and did they ever have fun with me!

I was screaming the entire time.  For a second I’d be free falling, and then come to a complete stop… it was quite a ride. 

The last drop was the scariest.  It was such a big drop; I thought it looked as big as Drop Zone, the ride I refuse to go on at Kings Island.  I basically fell the entire time.  I thought I was going to die.  I got harnessed in so that I was facing the ground; I don’t think that helped at all.  So, I started descending at a normal easy pace.  Then, all of a sudden, there was no tension in the rope!

I was just falling.  I kept falling and falling, and my screaming kept increasing in octaves.  And then I realized just how close to the ground I was!  I thought I was going to smack into the ground!!  I have never screamed so loud or high pitched in my entire life.  I really thought they were misjudging the distance between me and the ground.

But, I survived.  I came to a sudden stop about ten feet from the ground. I had never been happier to set my feet on solid ground.  It was fun, and I’m glad I did it.

Snake Temple

Sunday morning was a relaxing day.  We woke up late, took long cold showers and walked to the nearest place with coffee.  As we sipped our coffees and ate our early lunches, we made our plans for the day.  We decided to see the huge Wat tourists from all over were scurrying to see.  Its location is it’s main attraction: it’s placed on top of a mountain! 

We took the local sung-tao, which in Chiang Mai is a red pick up truck with a covered back and benches in the back, and journeyed the mountain.  Each of us got a little carsick.  The little red pick up truck veered along each corner, almost flinging us out of the back!  It was just like our journey there, the driver never slowed down as he whizzed by each corner.  I don’t the drivers here are worried about their passengers.  And we think NYC traffic is crazy...

The drive eventually stopped and we were grateful.  Our journey had just begun.  The next part would be hard: conquering 290 stairs!  It sounds like a lot of work, which it is, but it was a great walk.  The stairs were brimmed with many people and different foods.  It was a little market on the stairs!  It was fascinating. 

Little kids would dress up in Indian clothes and dance.  They wanted money for their efforts; it was hard to say no when they looked into my eyes.  They were so cute!  The last part of the stairs was magnificent.  On either side was a huge snake that started at the temple and worked its way down.  The snake was beautiful, laid with jewels and lots of intricate designs that must have taken years to make!  

We finally got the top and it was amazing, the most beautiful temple I had seen.  We had to take our shoes off to walk around inside.  It was massive!  It was funny though because I had to run around, which was probably disrespectful, but the floor was so hot from the sun!  I couldn’t help myself, I loved seeing everything but I didn’t want to burn my feet. 

There was a great view of Chiang Mai from up there, and lots of cool bells and monks roaming around the place.  It was quite the experience!!

The Gang's ALL Here!

Finally, the other SMs arrived from Bangkok.  They came in the afternoon.  It was so good to see them all!  I didn’t realize how much I missed them till I saw them.  Leah and I showed them around the place, took them up to the Pastor’s house, and gladly informed them of the rat situation. 

The shower situation wasn’t any better.  It was a shower made for ants! (I say this because the water faucet was at my waist) We made it work by using a dish and letting it fill with water so we could pour it over ourselves.  I became very thankful for the little bathroom I had back in Ubon.  All of the showers were cold that week; there was no water heater.  But, we weren’t there to take showers!  We were there to see Chiang Mai!! 

After settling in the apartment, it was later in the evening and we decided to go out for dinner.  Chiang Mai is a huge tourist place.  Lots of foreigners were there.  And because there are lots of tourists there, there is a good diversity of the type of food served at the restaurants.  We were all so sick of Thai food at that point!  We wanted NO RICE OR NOODLES! 

So, we took a stroll for a bit around the city and ran into a really good Mexican restaurant.  It was the best food I’ve had since I’ve been here.  It was costly, but I made sure I ate every bite of my food.  I felt sick afterwards, but I thought it was worth it!  After were all stuffed our faces, we walked some more around the city and ran into the night bazaar.  It was fascinating.  The street was lined with tents and stations for goodies.  There were selling everything from food to clothing to watches.  It was the place to be.  I didn’t buy much, but I really enjoyed looking around! 

It felt so good to be reunited with my friends.  We laughed the whole afternoon, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company.  We had so many stories for each other.  It was late when we went to bed, but we didn’t care, we were just glad to be together again.

"I Sleep with RATS"

The Pastor led us up to his place.  We were so happy that he had just suggested we could stay in his place all week long!  As we entered the house, we realized it wasn’t the best place we could have stayed, but we remained grateful.  The floors were stained with dirt and the dishes in the kitchen were dirty with ants crawling over them.  The living room had no furniture, just a giant rug.  The bedrooms were bare with the exception of two large beds.  As Leah and I laid our stuff down in one of the bedrooms, the Pastor was talking to us about the place and how to take care of things. 

“I sleep with rats”

He mentioned these words during the middle of his talk and we were glad we weren’t in the same room as him for that moment.  We both looked at each other and our eyes widened.  What? Did he really just say that rats lived in the house??  We were so scared; we began to think that everything in the room was a rat!  As scared as we were, we tried to remain calm, he was offering us his house and we didn’t want to appear rude! 

Every sound that night sounded like a rat to me.  I was glad to be sleeping in the middle of the bed.  I didn’t want some ugly rodent crawling on me!  If Leah moved I’d freak out thinking that a rat was pouncing on me.  I was restless half the night because I could have sworn they were eating through the wall.  There were these constant scratching noises.  But, I realized later that night that the sounds I was hearing were just the noises of the curtains dragging across the windows.  

Pastor PiNiPon

It’s amazing how small the world of Adventism is.  It seems that you can talk with anyone and find out that your cousin is married to their best friend, or your first grade teacher is now married to their son.  The list is endless, but we can always make a connection, somehow or someway.  Some people find this as a negative, but I find it quite interesting.  I feel blessed to part of a closely-knit church family! 

Being in another country doesn’t hinder this quality of Adventism.  Leah and I made plans ahead of time to stay near the Adventist Church of Chiang Mai.

Their Pastor, NiPiPon, picked us up from the bus terminal and carried pleasant conversation all the way to the church.It was Saturday, so even though Leah and I were exhausted from the endless and frightening bus ride, we made our best effort to go to Church. It was a beautiful little church.  The whole ceremony was lead by the youth of the church.  I had never seen anything like it before!  It was amazing.  Even one of the youth gave the sermon.  I was truly impressed by the leadership of the youth of that little church. 

Anyways, back to the small world of Adventism, Leah and I enjoyed a lovely potluck of Pad-Thai and steamed Pumpkin (which was amazing!).  As we ate, we discussed with the Pastor.  He mentioned the builder of the church, and Leah knew him!  I know this probably isn’t a big deal to people, but it was to me.  It really shocked me.  We were across the world from home and were still able to make connections with Church!  Wow, I still can’t believe it.  I feel so special to be part of this church! 

Pastor NiPiPon was really nice to us.  He offered us his house for the entire week. He told us he was leaving for Phuket, which is an island of paradise in southern Thailand, and that we were welcome to take over his entire house for the week!  He was so nice and kind, I was shocked at his offer though.  Who would just offer complete strangers to stay in their house for a week while they are gone?  I was amazed at this man.  He was such a tiny little man, but had such a big heart.  God truly blessed us that week, and this was only the beginning of it.  

Reliving the Nightmare of Bangkok Buses

Leah and I were so thrilled to start our vacation! We had been waiting for what felt like forever to start our journey to Chiang Mai.  We ate breakfast with PNee and PNa.  I still have a hard time believing how spicy their food is, and I’ve been here for about three months!  I don’t know if I’ll ever acquire a taste for spicy foods.  They pour pure chile and pepper juice all over their food!  I'm definitely an Italian.  When it comes to food, tomato is the only way!  Anyways...

Leah and I said our goodbyes and got on the bus.  It is a VIP bus, with blankets and cushions, but it still wasn’t all that comfortable.  It was also FREEZING!! At least the seats could recline far back.  It still wasn’t the best sleep, not even close.  There were numerous times in the middle of the night when I’d wake up and think the bus driver was going too fast.

It was raining and the windows were foggy, I had no idea how the bus driver could even see out the windshield!!  The weather didn’t seem to bother him; I thought we were going to fly off the mountainsides with the way he drove.  Curves didn’t slow him down, he kept the pedal to the floor, I thought he was crazy!!  I kept praying that we’d make it there safely.  When we finally arrived in Chiang Mai, I wanted to kiss the ground and thank God that I had made it there safely!  It’s really a miracle that we made it there safely.

End of the Term Party

I was so thrilled!  My students had worked hard all term to do well in my English class.  I felt they deserved a huge party.  We ordered pizza for everyone and enjoyed!  It was a fun gathering.  Everyone talked and greatly enjoyed their food.  I was so proud of my kids, and it really saddened me to think that some of them might not return.  I had grown attached to every one of my kids. 

During the middle of the party, I was trying to get the students to finish the rest of the soda.  We didn’t want any leftovers!  So, I figured I show them my “fake” pouring the “sealed” bottle in my mouth.  Let’s just say that I didn’t know there was no cap on the bottle.  Orange soda went all over me.  All of my kids screamed at me and were in complete shock!  I, on the other hand, was laughing hysterically at myself!  Leah was enjoying the moment, too.  The room was silent except for our laughter.  Eventually it wasn’t as funny and I had to clean up my mess.

It was a good party, even though I made a mess.  Some of the students even brought us presents!  I love those kids, I hope that won’t be the last time I saw them.

Internet is out...again!!

So, Leah and I are experiencing, for not the first of many times, the joys of having no internet! And you might wonder why I am able to update my blog... I am currently at an internet cafe, and I pay by the hour. It is hard to find a time to do this, but I make time!!

No internet means no contact wtih family. And that for me is really hard. I love talking with my family! I talk to my mother every chance I get!!! But, I guess that this is just a message for all you who read my blog on a regular basis. I will not be able to post pictures or update my blog for a couple of weeks. I have the rest of this week, and then I leave on the 17th of October to visit Chang Mai, a large city in northern Thailand. I will be there for a week with the other SMs from Bangkok, it will be lots of fun! We plan on ziplinning through the jungle, to ride an elephant... and many other things that you will just have to read when I update my blog again! So, this is goodbye for now. I hope to be writing around the 26th of October... until then, you will just have to wonder what Ms Erin is up to. Can't wait to tell you!!

Oh, and I thought that all you people in America should know that I am very jealous of the fact that you can eat pumpkin pie and enjoy your lovely orange trees. I'll be okay, I'll just eat an extra pineapple or something...

My 7 Kids

Today I realized just how wonderful my students are.  There are seven of them.  They can get loud at times, but since I have tried a new method in class, they seem to be angels.  I give them a point each time they are quiet, especially when other students are talking and one or two aren't.  I reward those who are good and respectful of me.  At the end of the week, I give the one with the most points a gift (which is candy.... they LOVE candy).  

Today the story was no different.  They listened to my lecture, did

their work in a timely manner, and were quiet, for the most part.  I also try to integrate fun, which is drawing at the end of the day, so they are being creative with the english that they just learned.  It was so hard to get them to leave today.  They didn't want to, I literally had to pull their papers out from under their tiny hands coloring on the paper.  As I was putting the papers on the desk, my back was turned from them.  I turned around to a total surprise!  At the end of the session, before they leave, I always pray with them.  It's hard to get them to be quiet, next to their desk with their hands folded and eyes shut... but today was different!!  

I turned around to a class full of quiet kids, standing up straight, with their hands folded and eyes shut!!  It was amazing.  I was about to cry.  I didn't pray right away, I couldn't.  It was emotional for me.  I had to tell them to open their eyes, because I told them that they made me happy.  I pointed to my mouth and made a smile.  And I told them they made me want to cry, which I also indicated with my fingers- showing that tears were going to run down my cheeks.  It was truly amazing.  All they want to do is learn and be good students.  God is amazing, he has touched my life with these students that, as far as I know, don't even know who He is!  I pray that I can show them God through my every day actions.  

And what's sad is that it's the end of the term soon! I won't be seeing these lovely little people for three weeks or so. I pray that they all come back.  I love them all!!!!  

I can't believe I'm LIVING in Thailand!

Sometimes I suddenly realize I am in Thailand, living here.  On my own, with a girlfriend, living in an apartment on by ourselves.  I can't really explain the feeling that suddenly stops me in my tracks on the way to the park in the morning, or on the local taxi trying to go get groceries for the week.  It's just pure amazement that I am actually doing this!  Being a missionary is something I've dreamed of doing, and I'm actually doing it!  God is amazing, He led me to Thailand!!  

I LOVE my students.  They are so willing to learn.  They are excited to

hear about American things.  Since this month is October, I've been sharing with them the typical Midwest Autumn. Their eyes get so big, and they wait to hear more!  I showed them pictures yesterday.  They really liked them.  I want to do everything for these kids.  They are the joy in my life right now. And they are so smart, really good at English.  

I recently just got another class, a tutorial actually.  These two women are already so good at English.  Their pronunciations are excellent!  They are so respectful of me, why can't it be this way in America?!  Students really should have more respect for their teachers.... Americans can be so rude!!  Thailand is wonderful.  I'm so glad I'm here :)!!

Wat Nangbua

Leah and I went to the Spa and got facials again.  The cucumber thing is really scary when you don't expect it!  For thirty minutes or so you have warm therapy on your face then BOOM!  Suddenly freezing cucumber peels are on your face.  They even put them on your eyelids and I jump every time!

The beautiful Wat Nangbua!  It was soo big!!

The temple was beautiful! It had huge buddhas and there was a monk in the corner.  It really scared me when I first realized he was there!  There were so many images in the middle.  Each was different and beautiful.  It mentioned on an information board inside the temple, that the temple has Indian influences.  I could definitely see why.

After we visited the Wat, or temple, we explored a nearby park.  It was flooded!  I waded out to the closest table... I really regretted the journey though.  The water was nasty and warm.  It made me think I was wading in pee!  It was also not the clearest of water, I was scared of what I could step on, or what would bite me!

(This picture is in honor of Kylie Schnell, I thought it was so cool of her to take a pic like this in Africa)  I don't have much to say about this picture.  Maybe one thing:  I have no idea why I was wearing long pants and a long sleeved T-shirt.  It was very hot when we were at the park and the palm trees provided little shade, but I love them anyways :)

 

What a Feast

This week has been such a blur.  Nothing really exciting has happened.  No English Camp, no nothing really, except for teaching!  And, I've come to love teaching!! I love my students so much. They are so sweet and wonderful.  They make teaching worthwhile.  

I also got a tutor this week.  So, for an hour a day now, I sit down with a man and go over conversational English.  I really don't know why he is paying for this, he is already pretty good at it!!  But, I love teaching him.  

Last night, Amanda, the missionary from Australia, took me and Leah on her motorcycle to the nearest Italian restaurant.  It was such a feast!  I ordered vegetable soup, it was amazing! Leah and I shared a salad, and I had two pieces of pizza!! I was so full.  It's nice to have something other than rice...