In Chiang Mai

December 31
So-wa-dee-kap (means hello) from Chiang Mai! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Because of where we are, it's sometimes easy to forget what time of year it is. A few reminders in store windows and on restaurant boards tell me it's New Year's Eve, but if it weren't for that, and the date on my watch, I could have no idea what day or month it is. It's a semi-blissful feeling. The only thing that's missing right now is having a job to go back to after vacation. That feeling of not having a plan or a next step in life is very awkward for me because I tend to be a planner and when I don't have something figured out, I feel a bit lost. So for the time being, we don't know what we're doing after February 11th, 2010. We just arrived to Chiang Mai on Tuesday and it is really nice. We've explored about a third of the city, but there is just so much. When you're living in a foreign country, you learn to savor any food that is clean and familiar. So my highlight for the day so far has been eating an egg, bacon, and ham crossants.
January 1, 2010
Happy New Year! Yesterday, I intended to post the above blog, but Rebs needed to do some work and I had already been on the one computer in our lodge for a while. Last night was a very fun experience for us. We went out around 7pm to find that parts of the city had been shut down so people could walk on the streets without traffic. Also, there were plenty of street vendors selling everything from bamboo hats, to clothing to traditional northern Thai food. Rebs bought a very lovely dress that she bargained for. You never buy anything at the given price, especially clothes. As we moved through the crowd, we saw lots of lights up in the sky, and eventually came to where the vendors were selling them. They were paper lanterns, some big enough to fit a standing adult inside. There was a flammable ring in the middle on the bottom, so when you lit it, the bag/lantern would fill with hot air and eventually take off into the sky until the flame burned out. Rebs and I bought one and enjoyed taking a video, which I will post soon. Rebs' aim wasn't so good and we almost got a flaming tree instead. After that, we just wandered around the main area of the new year's party. There was a stage and dancing and singing, but it was all in Thai and wasn't that exciting. What excited me was all the new and different food being sold by street vendors. We had intended to eat out at a restaurant that night, but ended up just walking from stand to stand, picking out what looked good. Sushi, spring rolls, fruit shake, a kebab, and pad thai all made up our dinner. Very filling. For a while, we just sat and people watched. We stood near where they were selling the lanterns, which was really funny for a while. People would try to send their lanterns into the air too early and they would sort of drift sideways and down into a crowd of people. It gave Rebs some anxiety. Some bags also caught on fire. And if a flaming paper bag wasn't enough, some people attached sparklers to theirs so they could see it better in the sky. Several bags got temporarily caught on telephone wires, and at one point Rebs went running away yelling, "Move! Watch out!" She told me later she thought the lantern would catch the power lines on fire, they would snap and fall on us. I just thought it was funny watching her because there was this sea of people ignorant to the fact, and then one crazy lady running around yelling things. I love my wife. Today, we are headed back out to the Crazy Horse Butress, about 45 minutes outside of Chiang Mai. It's a beautiful area with around 100 bolted sport routes. The last time we were there, we got to climb in a cave, which was a new experience for both of us. The photo here was taken on the walk in. If you look close, you'll see Rebs at the bottom next to the light that's coming through the entrance. That'll give you a perspective at how big this cave is. We plan to climb for two days, staying at a homestay in a traditional home near the crag. There are a couple of waterfalls and hot springs nearby also, so we may do a bit of sight seeing. I'm mostly excited because we are renting a scooter to go out there on. If you're a mother, pray for us. We'll be as safe as possible, and you can hope to see more photos in the future.

At The Bamboo School

Where to begin? This is what happens when too much is happening at the same time and you don't have time write about it. So here is the abbreviated version. Up until last Monday, Rebs and I were finishing grades and planning our trip to Thailand. Though we had not received new contracts for work, we had assumed that we were going to get them fairly soon. We had done our jobs well, had been professional, and couldn't think of any good reason to not receive the new contract. So we made plans.
On Monday night, Rebs and I each received separate emails, very formally stating that Kwandong University was choosing not to re-sign our contracts. There was no explanation as to why. My jaw dropped as I read it. It was like a hard punch to the stomach, a feeling that would have difficulty subsiding over the next several days.

This put us in an awkward situation because our plans for a vacation to Thailand started on Thursday, giving us 3 days before we went to Seoul to leave the next morning. That's not much time to do any sort of job searching and try to get hired. Let's just say that our anxiety levels went through the roof, at the same time battling the feelings of guilt, shame, confusion and anger. So over the next few days, we managed to get one strong lead on a job prospect and went for an interview in Daegu on Wednesday night. The interview was Thursday morning so we stayed with friends of friends down there.
Anyway, all this goes to say that from Monday night forward to arriving at the Bamboo School on Friday night, we hardly had a chance to speak to each other because we were so focused on finding jobs and making Thailand arrangements. Needless to say, my stress level was high and my brain was on overload.


In the words of Bill Cosby, "I had to tell you that story to tell you this one." So now you know our mental status upon arriving in Thailand. Stressed, overloaded, and in desperate need of a vacation. Right now, I"m really glad we booked this trip so far in advance because it may not have happened otherwise.
The Bamboo School is an incredible place for so many reasons. If you don't know already from the attached blog on the left, the Bamboo School exists as a refugee/orphanage/school for children of the Karen tribe surviving on the border of northern Thailand and Myanmar. At least that is where the persecution is happening now. Currently, there are about 55 that live there as permanent residents. The school has existed for about 10 years, so there are some students that have gone to college and occasionally return to visit their family. I use family in the sense that this is the most dynamic family that I have ever encountered. They are a church, a school, an orphanage, a work crew. They have chores, responsibilities, but they also have fun too. I think many people think of an orphanage as a bad place, a place as a shelter from something. But this place doesn't feel anything like that. There is calm at times, there is chaos at times. But they exist as a family. Their knowledge of their situation is strong, but it does not paralyze them from living normal lives. In fact, I am learning that many of these kids, should their abilities and talents be listed next to 9 other random people in the world, theirs would probably be twice as long. Most of the kids speak 3 languages: Thai, Karen, and English. Depending on when they come in, their English may be fluent. I have had regular, opinion-based conversations with some of the high school boys. And the very little ones are developing their English skills at the same rate as their native languages.

The kids work for each other. The older kids take monthly turns working in the kitchen, preparing the meals. One child is blind and deaf, so he has an 11-year-old to look after him during the day. All the kids have morning chores, including carrying 40 gallon trash bins full of water from the nearby river an eighth mile up for washing. It's amazing how little these kids need me in their daily tasks. But what the do still need is love.
Anyway, I came into all this Friday night, late and quiet. Saturday is their sabbath, meaning that they don't work at all. And with 35 kids (some have gone to an English conference), it is inevitable that we should play. That was a great first day for us because it allowed us to ease into the life at the Bamboo school. We got to take a nap in the afternoon. There are hammocks under bamboo canopies. At times, it feels more like a retreat than an orphanage. I love it here and wish we were staying longer. Maybe we will get to come back for longer next time. It would be great to be a consistent presence in their lives.
Some things we have done so far:
- eat all vegetarian meals until this morning when I got some barbeque chicken.
- keep a 3-month-old baby overnight.
- sleep on a bamboo bed, in a bamboo hut, under a mosquito net.
- chop down bamboo poles with a machette to use as stilts for a hut.
- set up a slackline for the kids to play on.
- burn brush to clear land that will be used for farming.
- bathe in the river.
- play soccer in the yard in front of the main house/hospital.
- go to the market for buying fresh food for daily meals.

My anxiety has melted away. I do not miss Korea at the moment. We are rich in fellowship.

Can't Sleep

It's 12:41am and I'm wide awake. It probably has something to do with the late afternoon nap I desperately needed and took when I got home from work today. I thought this week was going to be easy because we have fewer classes, but it's not. This week, all the foreign professors are giving final exams to their Junior classes. And while I have enjoyed teaching mostly Juniors all semester, I end up with a lot of extra work this week because of it. Lots of grading seems to wear me out!
On a side, but partially related note, I've caught the climbing bug again. We have been going climbing at the gym at school, once during the week, and one day on the weekend for about a month now. I'm loving it, but I'm finding that the cold might have part in my being so tired at work sometimes. On Sunday, a few friends and I went to a climbing crag about 2 hours from where we live. The temperature for the majority of the day was below freezing, but because the rock was in the sun and there was little wind, we were still able to enjoy climbing. Occasionally, there would be a rush of a cold breeze that reminded you winter was around the corner, but otherwise it was great. At the same time, though, I can sense when I am out there that my body is a little tense. Like when you shiver. Shivering for hours can exhaust a person. But lucky for me, I got a nice balaclava in the mail (robber's mask with eye slit) and had several layers on all over, so I stayed as warm as could be.
We have exactly 9 days until we fly to Thailand. It feels like it's just in the nick of time too. Next week is supposed to dip down to just above freezing for the highs most days. Brrr! But by Friday, we will be saying goodbye to Korea for almost 2 months in shorts and t-shirt weather. Our first stop will likely be a very eye-opening experience for us, in which we will be volunteering for about 10 days at the Bamboo School. (Click the link at the top left for more info.) Rebs nor I have ever worked with an impoverished people for much time at all. I'm really looking forward to this time for a large part because we will be there during Christmas time. I feel like it gives us a chance to be reminded of God's gift of Christ to us at Christmas time. He came setting an example, showing us how to love and to serve, ultimately to be a sacrifice for us that we can live in communion with God today and right now. I imagine this place to be a place of community, where the people work together and serve each other. I may be teaching and serving while I'm there, but I also expect to learn a lot along the way. It could possibly be a hands-on experience that would change my perspective on life. Only He knows really.
But I'm just glad to be in an environment that is focused on Christ. I see and hear about the holiday buzz from friends and family back home and it doesn't make me miss the consumerism that seems to take precedence over morality and civility. I'm happy to be thousands of miles away from it all. But I can't help but miss my family at this time too. Christmas has always been my family's biggest holiday together. So when I am away, I know that I'm missing a party and a family reunion mixed into one.