I was a swimmer in college and every year we would have our first week of training after a summer off. In normal schools, this was called "hell week" but since I went to a Christian university, we called it the "week of tenacity", much more appealing to the ear, but none less grueling. We would have two-a-days swimming with weights every other day. The idea was to whip your body into shape that first week so that the following weeks wouldn't seem so hard (or at least that's how I thought of it).
Well, this week has definitely been our week of tenacity. Rebs and I have both had times where we either cried or wanted to cry or punch something/someone. We've been transitioning into a new city and a new job in a country where English is definitely not the first language. On top of it, this isn't something we chose for ourselves, both of us being planner's by nature. We were released from our previous jobs unexpectedly, without explanation, at the end of our contracts.
Classes started this week and we have both felt overwhelmed by it. It isn't that our jobs are difficult, but more that they are unfamiliar. In fact, there isn't much in our lives that is. Our apartment, our friends, our offices, our city, are all less than 2 weeks old. I hate that feeling of not being in control. I want to buy a TV cable. I want to go to the downtown produce market. I want to buy a sofa for my living room. But I don't know how to do any of it. The delivery guy calls me on the phone, but we can't communicate with each other. It's these things that I'm dealing with on a daily basis.
I have to keep reminding myself that everything I do is a step in the right direction. I've felt like God is teaching us to let go of our control. Every time I drive down the wrong road, I have become more familiar with my surroundings. I know that that's not the right way, narrowing my choices. Eventually, maybe I will have gone down all the wrong roads and then I'll know which ones are shortcuts. It's just a matter of time. Every time something doesn't work, I re-think things and try something else.
One good thing that happened tonight was that we went climbing with our friend Bryan at the climbing gym near our house. We are all out of shape, having not been able to climb for the past few weeks due to the transition. But there is something purifying about working hard that I enjoy. Rebs says I'm weird for enjoying pain, but I hardly see it as pain anymore. Just progress. We climbed hard for 2 hours, finishing with pull-ups and abs, the same as was our routine 2 years ago when we trained regularly in a gym in Seoul. I enjoyed every bit of sweat and pain because it cleanses me. I left refreshed, feeling that familiar feeling, no more in control than I ever am, but satisfied.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Transition
I know it's been a long time since we've written anything, but believe me, we have a lot to tell and catch you up on. Right now, I'm sitting on the couch in a friend's apartment in Daegu, about 4 hours south of where we lived and worked last year. This is because we are moving to Daegu to work. We came down here to take care of details like renewing visas and signing contracts. We finally found and leased an apartment yesterday too. But we don't move in until February 24th, so we'll take some pics once we do.
We might be doing a bit of backtracking to catch you up on all our adventures, because from about December 16th to February 11th, we were on holiday. The last place we vacationed was on Railay beach in Thailand. It was hot, sunny, beautiful, and had very aesthetic climbing. I loved the fact that I forgot what day of the week it was and that it didn't matter. I often didn't know the date or time. We climbed on our on days, and swam, read books, and tanned on rest days, along with getting fitted for tailor made suits, the first shopping trip that I thoroughly enjoyed. We ate $3 meals on a regular basis, and if you have never had "mango sticky rice" before, you should look it up and make it. That's what Rebs had for breakfast just about every day.One cool thing about that place is that many people stay for a month or longer, and return often. So the result is that everyone kind of knows each other. In stead of it being a vacation where you just hang out with whoever you came with, you end up meeting people and climbing with them, and then meeting their friends. So by the time we left, we had met quite a few people who also live and teach English in Korea. Alas, it came to an end too soon. It was a lifestyle we could have lived forever.
What we came back to was a stark contrast. As our plane landed in Seoul in the early morning, there were snow flurries welcoming us back to reality. We proceeded to put on half the clothes in our bags that we'd brought and headed home. At home in Gangneung, we made a list of everything we needed to do before moving to Daegu. The only problem was it wouldn't stop snowing! It snowed through the night and most of the next day. When we went out for a walk, we measured it to be about 45cm (sorry, no inches on our ruler). So we did some packing in the house and watched a movie. But it was amazing to think that I had been shirtless on the beach 48 hours before.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Why I Climb
Climbing is the most helpful thing in my life in terms of relieving my anxiety and worries about the future. It feels so parallel to my life right now. It's hard, scary, and fun all at the same time. There is a lot of mystery, challenge, and uncertainty involved. Sometimes I feel really vulnerable and insecure. Other times I feel confident and strong. But what I like most about it is that no matter what the circumstances are, no matter where I am on the rock, I always feel alive and fully present. My focus is on whatever is presented in front of me in the moment. Everything else melts away and it's just me up there alone with my Maker and together we dance up the rock. It's so wonderful to be able to focus on climbing for an extended amount of time. It's relaxing, therapeutic, and my main creative outlet. My hope is that I will be able to take all of this and apply it to the rest of my life.
A Relaxing Day
Just to warn you, this might be a looong post. It's a shame that we've been here in Thailand for 17 days now and this is my first post. I wrote a lot in my journal while we were volunteering at the Bamboo School but didn't have access to internet to share my thoughts so that will have to come later (maybe on our cruise). We arrived in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand the morning of the 29th and have been loving our time here. We've just been so busy having fun and today is the first day I've actually slowed down enough to blog. Honestly, it's been really nice not having the internet be as accessible. I haven't missed it at all and have enjoyed having an excuse not to communicate so much through a computer screen. I think I'd much prefer pen and paper but the rest of the world just can't seem to be patient enough for that. I think that's rather sad. So, I spent the afternoon writing postcards and quite enjoyed the time and thought process that went into it. It was simple and easy and gave me time to think for a bit about each person I wrote.
Today we got to enjoy a wonderful rest day in the sun. We've just been laying out by the pool reading, writing, and relaxing. It's the first day since we've been on vacation that's felt 'restful'. We've been busy! Let me catch you up on our days in Chiang Mai.
Tues 29th
We left the Bamboo School around midnight of the 29th and arrived here around 8am. We were TIRED. We quickly found a place to stay, however for the first night we took a room with 2 twin beds because it's what was available and we didn't want to drive around in a taxi looking for a place all day. We just wanted to SLEEP! Any accomodations were a huge step up from the orphanage so we were happy with our little room and were promised a room with a king sized bed the next day. Hooray! So, the first thing we did was take a long nap. Boring. Then we got up, walked around and explored the town. It's beautiful here. Very dry heat and then it cools down at night you can be comfortable with a light sweater or scarf. We shared a pizza for lunch. Let me just say that this place has cheap and delicious food options galore and after eating rice and veggies 3x a day for 11 days, good food tastes amazing! We then went and found the climbing school, signed up to get a ride out with them the next day, browsed in some shops, checked our e-mail and facebook, dropped off our laundry, got Thai massages, ate delicious Thai food for dinner, checked out the night bazaar, and crashed.
Wed 30th
Woke up early. Showered (how wonderful a long hot shower felt after 12 or so days without one), dressed, and packed our bags to be moved to a room with a big bed. (On a random side note, the power just went off and so computer quit on me. Thank goodness for auto save but still argue for the pen and paper method.) Had breakfast at our hotel followed by a brisk walk to catch a ride out to Crazy Horse (the climbing area). It was a slow, relaxed day of climbing as I was pretty tired still from our travels. Upon our return home we found a stand with fruit shakes for 15 baht which is about 50 cents. I got a watermelon shake because they are my favorite. You should know I get at least one fruit shake (usually more) everyday. They are cheap and delicious and made with fresh fruit. We then dined on some organic masuman curry for dinner, booked a different guest house in a location closer to the climbing school (with a pool) for the 2nd through the 8th and crashed headed for bed.
Thur 31st
The day started off great. It was our first official rest day since being on vacation. We slept in. Dusty got up and went for a run while I sawed logs all morning and let him bring back some breakfast. Then we got up and headed to the market for some fruit and snacks. Then of course, had to get a fruit shake on the way back. We got some Mexican food for lunch. Yum! Then I went for a pedicure and massage while Dusty spent some time on the internet. The day went down from there. This was the last day of the grading period at our school. Up until now students can check their grades, e-mail their professors, and request a grade change. I checked my e-mail and found I had several last minute e-mails from students (especially my dreaded medical students who were awarded with several F's). So, I spent the next several hours adjusting a select few grades and responding with explanations to students who complained or 'couldn't believe' their grade. Blech! Glad that's over with and we don't have to do anymore work for Kwandong University. We're definitely leaving there feeling a little mistreated and with a bitter taste in our mouths. Still no explanation as to why we weren't resigned but my Canadian coordinator said the Korean administration (aka people in charge) were very secretive about letting us go and kept even her out of the loop. She also said 'people' tried very hard to get them to keep us on but they are stubborn and don't like to listen to reason. So... we're forced to move forward in our lives and accept the fact that they don't have the human decency or ethical integrity to speak with us face to face or offer us any form of explanation. It just makes it hard to know what we did wrong, if anything.
In addition, the school we interviewed with last minute before we left Korea had told us they'd have a decision made by the 31st of Dec. We were anxiously awaiting to hear something, anything but still haven't gotten a response and today is the 3rd so I think it's safe to say we didn't get the job. I think more than anything, I'm just frustrated with the lack of communication we've had lately with Korean institutions. It makes me angry and frustrated. I'm left feeling a little vulnerable and disappointed. I want so much to feel like I can trust people to treat me fairly and respectfully but I guess things don't always work that way. Needless to say, I closed out the new year feeling a little sad and anxious about our future. I think Dusty and I are both happy to have the end of 2009 behind us and are opening 2010 with a new beginning. We're just not sure exactly which direction we're headed, but we will figure that out soon enough. I'm trying to approach it more as an adventure and opportunity to choose another direction rather than freak out and act out of fear and anxiety. And I get to do it all with my sweetheart by my side. As Dusty already wrote, we closed out 2009 in downtown Chiang Mai. We were both pretty tired and came home early. But we were woken up at midnight to an awesome fireworks display right out our window.
Fri 1st
Happy New Year. The climbing school here told us they'd be closed the 1st through the 3rd so we were on our own if we wanted to get out to climb. Crazy Horse, is about 60km away. Dusty had been wishing, hoping, dreaming, and talking for a long time about his desire to rent a motorbike. Any my response had always been, “No way! That's crazy!” I don't know how he talked me into it. I guess he enticed me with back to back days of climbing. He does know me well. So I hesitantly agreed to his little plan and my heart rate and anxiety instantly went through the roof. Somehow he managed to get me on the thing. Although I almost cried I was so scared. But we made it all the way out there without incident and I was proud of Dusty for driving so cautiously. We spent Friday afternoon climbing a wall that was completely in the shade and we had it all to ourselves the entire time. We were picked up Friday evening and taken to a homestay near Crazy Horse, something Dusty planned the day before with the climbing school. We stayed the night in a rustic bungalow and enjoyed a delicious Northern Thai dinner cooked by the homestay family in celebration of the new year.
Sat 2nd
After breakfast in the morning, we trekked about 2 miles back up to Crazy Horse for a bit more climbing. We hiked all the way up to The Rooftop which is the highest wall there and is completely in the sun. Again we had the wall to ourselves and we did three wonderful climbs overlooking the valley below before hiking back down and doing a few more climbs on another wall in the shade. The climbing here is very dimensional with limestone tufas and stalagtites full of pockets and cool looking arches. It's really fun to climb and very different from climbing a one-wall face like we're used to. We decided to call it a day early. My muscles were tired from back to back days of climbing in the sun and heat. So we slowly made our way back home on the motorbike again without incident. I was SO relieved and deeply relaxed after a few hard days out there. We turned in our bike and moved all our packs to the Smile Guesthouse which is where we are now. They sold me with their pool and sun deck. Then we got showers and headed for dinner. We enjoyed some more delicious Mexican food (my favorite) followed by some more shopping at the night bazaar. This time we actually bought some stuff. Then we headed home.
Sun 3rd.
What an awesome, relaxing day. We slept in until 8:30 and then went for a brisk walk around the square. Downtown Chiang Mai is surrounded by a brick wall and moat in the shape of a square. I think maybe it's an ancient palace? Not sure. Anyhow, it's about 4km around. Then we headed for some brunch, after our morning shakes of course. We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon laying out by the pool working on our tans. It's been a blissful day in which I've enjoyed every moment. We'll head back out for another day of climbing tomorrow. There. Now you're caught up. Whew!
Today we got to enjoy a wonderful rest day in the sun. We've just been laying out by the pool reading, writing, and relaxing. It's the first day since we've been on vacation that's felt 'restful'. We've been busy! Let me catch you up on our days in Chiang Mai.
Tues 29th
We left the Bamboo School around midnight of the 29th and arrived here around 8am. We were TIRED. We quickly found a place to stay, however for the first night we took a room with 2 twin beds because it's what was available and we didn't want to drive around in a taxi looking for a place all day. We just wanted to SLEEP! Any accomodations were a huge step up from the orphanage so we were happy with our little room and were promised a room with a king sized bed the next day. Hooray! So, the first thing we did was take a long nap. Boring. Then we got up, walked around and explored the town. It's beautiful here. Very dry heat and then it cools down at night you can be comfortable with a light sweater or scarf. We shared a pizza for lunch. Let me just say that this place has cheap and delicious food options galore and after eating rice and veggies 3x a day for 11 days, good food tastes amazing! We then went and found the climbing school, signed up to get a ride out with them the next day, browsed in some shops, checked our e-mail and facebook, dropped off our laundry, got Thai massages, ate delicious Thai food for dinner, checked out the night bazaar, and crashed.
Wed 30th
Woke up early. Showered (how wonderful a long hot shower felt after 12 or so days without one), dressed, and packed our bags to be moved to a room with a big bed. (On a random side note, the power just went off and so computer quit on me. Thank goodness for auto save but still argue for the pen and paper method.) Had breakfast at our hotel followed by a brisk walk to catch a ride out to Crazy Horse (the climbing area). It was a slow, relaxed day of climbing as I was pretty tired still from our travels. Upon our return home we found a stand with fruit shakes for 15 baht which is about 50 cents. I got a watermelon shake because they are my favorite. You should know I get at least one fruit shake (usually more) everyday. They are cheap and delicious and made with fresh fruit. We then dined on some organic masuman curry for dinner, booked a different guest house in a location closer to the climbing school (with a pool) for the 2nd through the 8th and crashed headed for bed.
Thur 31st
The day started off great. It was our first official rest day since being on vacation. We slept in. Dusty got up and went for a run while I sawed logs all morning and let him bring back some breakfast. Then we got up and headed to the market for some fruit and snacks. Then of course, had to get a fruit shake on the way back. We got some Mexican food for lunch. Yum! Then I went for a pedicure and massage while Dusty spent some time on the internet. The day went down from there. This was the last day of the grading period at our school. Up until now students can check their grades, e-mail their professors, and request a grade change. I checked my e-mail and found I had several last minute e-mails from students (especially my dreaded medical students who were awarded with several F's). So, I spent the next several hours adjusting a select few grades and responding with explanations to students who complained or 'couldn't believe' their grade. Blech! Glad that's over with and we don't have to do anymore work for Kwandong University. We're definitely leaving there feeling a little mistreated and with a bitter taste in our mouths. Still no explanation as to why we weren't resigned but my Canadian coordinator said the Korean administration (aka people in charge) were very secretive about letting us go and kept even her out of the loop. She also said 'people' tried very hard to get them to keep us on but they are stubborn and don't like to listen to reason. So... we're forced to move forward in our lives and accept the fact that they don't have the human decency or ethical integrity to speak with us face to face or offer us any form of explanation. It just makes it hard to know what we did wrong, if anything.
In addition, the school we interviewed with last minute before we left Korea had told us they'd have a decision made by the 31st of Dec. We were anxiously awaiting to hear something, anything but still haven't gotten a response and today is the 3rd so I think it's safe to say we didn't get the job. I think more than anything, I'm just frustrated with the lack of communication we've had lately with Korean institutions. It makes me angry and frustrated. I'm left feeling a little vulnerable and disappointed. I want so much to feel like I can trust people to treat me fairly and respectfully but I guess things don't always work that way. Needless to say, I closed out the new year feeling a little sad and anxious about our future. I think Dusty and I are both happy to have the end of 2009 behind us and are opening 2010 with a new beginning. We're just not sure exactly which direction we're headed, but we will figure that out soon enough. I'm trying to approach it more as an adventure and opportunity to choose another direction rather than freak out and act out of fear and anxiety. And I get to do it all with my sweetheart by my side. As Dusty already wrote, we closed out 2009 in downtown Chiang Mai. We were both pretty tired and came home early. But we were woken up at midnight to an awesome fireworks display right out our window.
Fri 1st
Happy New Year. The climbing school here told us they'd be closed the 1st through the 3rd so we were on our own if we wanted to get out to climb. Crazy Horse, is about 60km away. Dusty had been wishing, hoping, dreaming, and talking for a long time about his desire to rent a motorbike. Any my response had always been, “No way! That's crazy!” I don't know how he talked me into it. I guess he enticed me with back to back days of climbing. He does know me well. So I hesitantly agreed to his little plan and my heart rate and anxiety instantly went through the roof. Somehow he managed to get me on the thing. Although I almost cried I was so scared. But we made it all the way out there without incident and I was proud of Dusty for driving so cautiously. We spent Friday afternoon climbing a wall that was completely in the shade and we had it all to ourselves the entire time. We were picked up Friday evening and taken to a homestay near Crazy Horse, something Dusty planned the day before with the climbing school. We stayed the night in a rustic bungalow and enjoyed a delicious Northern Thai dinner cooked by the homestay family in celebration of the new year.
Sat 2nd
After breakfast in the morning, we trekked about 2 miles back up to Crazy Horse for a bit more climbing. We hiked all the way up to The Rooftop which is the highest wall there and is completely in the sun. Again we had the wall to ourselves and we did three wonderful climbs overlooking the valley below before hiking back down and doing a few more climbs on another wall in the shade. The climbing here is very dimensional with limestone tufas and stalagtites full of pockets and cool looking arches. It's really fun to climb and very different from climbing a one-wall face like we're used to. We decided to call it a day early. My muscles were tired from back to back days of climbing in the sun and heat. So we slowly made our way back home on the motorbike again without incident. I was SO relieved and deeply relaxed after a few hard days out there. We turned in our bike and moved all our packs to the Smile Guesthouse which is where we are now. They sold me with their pool and sun deck. Then we got showers and headed for dinner. We enjoyed some more delicious Mexican food (my favorite) followed by some more shopping at the night bazaar. This time we actually bought some stuff. Then we headed home.
Sun 3rd.
What an awesome, relaxing day. We slept in until 8:30 and then went for a brisk walk around the square. Downtown Chiang Mai is surrounded by a brick wall and moat in the shape of a square. I think maybe it's an ancient palace? Not sure. Anyhow, it's about 4km around. Then we headed for some brunch, after our morning shakes of course. We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon laying out by the pool working on our tans. It's been a blissful day in which I've enjoyed every moment. We'll head back out for another day of climbing tomorrow. There. Now you're caught up. Whew!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, December 21, 2009
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.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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.
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.
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