Things you don't see in America (at least not too much)

This post was actually Sunday, but I wanted the news from the hospital to be at the top of the blog, so I am dating this Saturday.


Here in Thailand, I see all sorts of things I would never see in America. Before I get too used to it here, I want to share them with you.


YUM brands (the parent company of KFC and Pizza Hut, to name 2) has aggressive expansion plans here in Thailand.

What I have not noticed at home is the weird toppings they have here. I do not even know what they are, but I guarantee you that the common denominator is seafood.

The rest of the post is pictureless, but I will continue to list unusual (for USA) things.

- Newspapers that do NOT continue articles on an inside page. I do not know if this is standard, but the Bangkok Post, one of the nationwide English dailies, FINISHES ARTICLES ON THE SAME PAGE THEY START!!!! Obvious question. Do they lay it out that way, or just cut the articles, or both? I do not know. When I was in college, I helped layout our school paper sometimes. We would edit to fit an article. Sometimes the authors of the articles would be quite disturbed about what we had decided to edit. On occasion, one would stay up all night with us until we had the papaer pasted up so he could decide what to delete if we didn't have room. Yeah, I am that old- we had a composer that printed out the columns, but we had to paste them on a board to take to the printer.

- Guy just got 10 years or so for driving into a bus stop full of people and killing one and injuring 2 others. His family said he was a troubled person, mentally. (Here's the not in America part...) The court said, yeah, so it must've been you that made him that way and convicted him.

- It is not part of the culture to actually work for all the time you are being paid (OK, so we see that in America, too, but here it is universal.)

- Escalators designed to accept shopping carts.

- Way more 40W and 60W bulbs than 100W. I finally found some 100W so finally I can see what I am doing!

- Carrefour super mart (Like a French super Walmart/Costco combined) has one entire side of an aisle just for cooking oil.

- restaurants are cheaper than eating at home

- ergo, retaurants everywhere- Mae Sa Laung has about 15 or so in an eyeblink of a little village.

-just to clarify. "restaurant" is sometimes just the front part of someone's residence with some tables, or a place on the side of the road, but the food is ok and CHEAP.

- reverence for government- Ha! that's not true...only for the King and Queen.

- PA announcements, karaoke, and the like that are amplified enough to be heard over several square miles.

- driving on the left, therefore shifting with the left hand and turn signal on the right side of steering wheel

- cheap labor (really cheap)

- 2 months with only light rain one day and nothing turns brown (haven't figured that one out)

- morning and/or evening markets everywhere out in the open, selling at least produce and other food, often much more

- cheap public transportation (really cheap)

- monks ride for free (and have special seats)

- many people whose first language is their (within Thailand) tribal language

- Carrefour has a large selection of guitars- Thailand (and maybe moreso Burma), especially among the hill tribes, has a higher percentage of the population that can play guitar and sing

- dogs roam the streets (and sleep in and alongside them) in the villages. They are not wild, but they roam free and like to hang out where the action is, not necessarily where they live. Dogs are everywhere.

- sweaters on dogs when the nights get below 60

- lanterns with live fire floating all over the sky at any and all occasions

- people all over the place riding in the back of pickup trucks

- humongous billbords, especially at big intersections- I don't get it- these things are enormous and must cost a fortune to build- I cannot imagine that they can charge enough to pay for them

- stream and rivers that are turgid most of the time, even during dry season, like now. Some millennium, the Gulf of Thailand will surely be filled in. :)

- concrete and brick residential construction (more on this in a future post)

- electric wires run *on* the walls not *in* the walls, due to the construction method above

- shower water heaters inside the shower (but not everyone)- no hot water elsewhere

- wash clothes in a basin, dry outside on racks

- old people (usually women) pushing 2 wheeled carts up and down the road- sometimes with trash, sometimes with something to sell, sometimes to and from market

- kitchens without stoves/ovens

Enough for now. I need to do this so I will have something to look back on...my memory is getting so bad...

Another Week Draws to a Close

Well, it has not been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon. Besides the Seng Moon Aung sickness, we have had a couple of situations with students' friends and families that have kept it from being boring. today was disinfect everything day so nobody else gets MRSA.

Here at the top, let me say that Ah Moon is better today. She ate heartily and is in better spirits. Still in the hospital, of course, on the special antibiotics that they use on MRSA. Thank you all for your prayers. I will update here on the blog.

Myo Zaw and "Auntie" Tumar arrived safely and are settled in here at the farmhouse in the bedroom next to me. Since Myo Zaw knows no English, we have an extra challenge in teaching him. Tumar knows some English, and we have translators set up to help them both.

What a beautiful moon we have here in Thailand! Of course, we had conjunction on Monday with the eclipse, then we had the new moon on Wednesday. It was gorgeous. I think we miss something by living with calculated calendars. Yeah, we can schedule our lives in advance, but we lose touch somewhat with the universe and its Creator. :(

Tonight, the moon is still a crescent, and it is near Venus. Stunning sight, as it was last month. They will be in close proximity for another day or so, and then we will not see them together in the evening again until 2010. It has been beautiful I will miss them.

I have been here almost 9 weeks. We have had one day of light on-and-off rain. Every other day just perfect. Today, like yesterday, and the day before, etc, featured a crisp, cool night followed by a crystal clear and low humidity day in the 80's. I could get used to this...in fact I am. It will get miserably hot and more humid in a month or 2, after I am home :)

Some have asked for a picture of Leon, so here you are. He is the one with the beard. The man on the calendar is the King. His picture is everywhere in this country. He is what keeps this country stable. Pray for him. He and the Queen are *very good* to Legacy- they know us well and make it possible for us to do the Work we do here in Asia.










"Auntie" Tumar, as the Burmese students call her, and Myo Zaw, with Seng Mai and Hkawn Din. The Burmese students are very fond of, and close to, Tumar and Myo Zaw, who are a center of hospitality and help in Rangoon. Most, if not all, of the students spend time with them on their way over here at one time or another. They are a bit like grandparents to Surachai and Ah Moon as well.

Elainea is off her crutches!!







Thanks fo your prayers for her, as well. Please continue to remember her, as she still has some pain and swelling when she does too much. There is still a steel plate in there that will come out in a couple of years.

My rosemary chicken dinner last Sunday. Very good, and I did not need the jaws of life to chew it like with the steaks I got here. Those who know me know what is in the glass.










At the woods behind the temple nearby they have lots of bees. I guess they sell honey somewhere. The tents I showed you when I first got here are gone. Maybe it was a monk-style "jamboree" I don't know.








Here's something we do not see at home. Two seats at every island staffed with 2 gas station attendants. I know that some of you are too young to remember gas station attendants, but they used to be the norm, only we didn't usually have seats, or so many. One of the benefits of incredibly cheap labor.

I spend basically all my time working on my classes and sermons (which are like classes, too). I will begin to describe some of what I am covering and why on my other blog, for those who are interested.

Ah Moon has MRSA

Seng Moon Aung, the 2 year old girl who had a fall and developed some kind of infection seemed to be getting better. Her fever had receded and she had even begun to eat…HOWEVER, we just found out that she has MRSA, that antibiotic-resistant strain of staph infection that can be very dangerous to some people, including young children. I do not know when she contacted the MRSA or whether it had anything to do with her injuries (she also had a different accident several weeks ago) So, she will remain in the hospital on some rather expensive special antibiotics.

That's Ah Moon in the front. Please join all of us here in praying for Ah Moon’s speedy recovery. We are all very concerned, of course, and so are her parents. God is our healer, and He is Ah Moon’s as well. Thank you for your prayers.

Eclipse now!

Today's solar eclipse is visible here in Thailand. Besides the hole-in-the-paper projection on the wall method, I was able to scrounge up a welder's helmet and get a good glimpse a few minutes ago. The eclipse is full in parts of India- here, it was just a section out of the left side of the sun. Even in India, it was annular- meaning that a small part of the sun is visible around the moon because of how far away from us the moon is right now. What are the chances of the moon being at just the right distance from us to produce beautiful full eclipses of the sun? Think about it.

Ah Moon

Ah Moon has had a swelling in her leg along with the fever that is now gone. She had fallen, and it was thought the swelling was due to that. The swelling has still not gone down all the way, so she has been taken to the hospital to see what is going on. Please continue to pray. I will keep you posted.

Seng Moon Aung is better!

I took this picture of Ah Moon yesterday afternoon, and she smiled when I showed it to her. That was encouraging. Her fever was down, and she had begun to eat a little broth. This morning, the fever is gone, but she is still weak from not eating for so long. Thanks so much for your prayers.

Seng Hpa, Ah Moon's mother, is the chief cook...so during the illness, the cook's helpers (here you see Hkawn Din and Seng Mai) have been coming down to the Farm and cooking for the family.

Surachai hasn't really known what to do with himself while his sister has been sick. He used my camera to take the next few pictures.









So this is what I look like to the little ones. Yuk. At least they can't see how little hair I have :)







He took a picture of his Mom on the phone.








He took a few pics of the girls cooking his lunch out in back.

The all-important mortar and pestle, used to crush all those great spices and hot peppers.

One of the dogs here at the farm- Cha Laat- which means smart or clever. She is (obviously, from the breed) very friendly.

Slow day at a restaurant near the school.

Seng Moon Aung

In the front of this picture is Ah Moon being her normal happy, lovable and energetic self. Unfortunately, she has not been this way at all for the last day or two. She is running a very high fever, and although she is resting now (I just saw her), she has not done well the last 2 nights. She has been stuck in bed for 2 days and she still has the fever. Please pray for her quick recovery. Thanks so much.

Pure and Undefiled Religion

Lal Lian- one of the graduates I hold special classes for. He is Burmese, from Mizo country about 45 miles from India. Most Mizo are Christian, and there has been COG missionary activity in the area beginning many years ago. Lal Lian has plans to build and run an orphanage on his family's property near Kalemyo. He has worked at an orphanage, and feels that this is a way he can serve his community, and serve the Church. He also longs for more unity and cooperation among the COG congregations in his region, and hopes that the orphanage may be useful in that regard someday. We have been discussing this project since I arrived, and I am impressed with his insight and planning. I have noticed (as have other westerners) that goal-setting and planning are not strengths for many of the people here, so I covered these subjects early in my teaching. Lal Lian has more initiative than most. He is a hard worker, and he will also do a job that needs to be done rather than waiting for someone to direct him, as is the norm.

He has graduated from Legacy, of course, and he has been receiving additional training since the Feast. He is anxious to get back home and begin his project, but Leon would like him to come back for another year of training. He is still young. So, he will go home for a month or so, and come back for another year. In the meantime, his brother wants to help with the project, and will begin to assemble materials…specifically logs, which are available nearby if you get permission, fell the trees, and have the oxen and carts to get them down the mountain. There is much to do, and Lal Lian is anxious to get started. His goal is to be operational by 2012.

As many of you know, my wife and I have begun a local ministry in our community. We are already serving the needy among the elderly, and we will expand that work when I return, as well as continue my writing and recording efforts. It was always our intention to support God's work beyond our shores, and Lal Lian's orphanage is a worthy partner.

Because of the worldwide economic slowdown, and falling resource prices, some construction materials in Burma are selling for half of what they were just a year ago. Specifically, steel roofing. Lal Lian rightly figures that it would make sense to buy the roofing while the prices are low. He has calculated that he can make this purchase forabout $1800 (US). The logs, once permission is obtained (with $$) will cost just labor and the cost of another ox and cart.

Here is my request. Some have asked if they could help with the expenses of my trip here. We have no need, because we have used some of the money we had saved up for our ministry. But if anyone would like to help Lal Lian, we will match your donation, up to the first $1000. A little goes a long way over here, and this is a chance to do something useful with no administration costs, for those who are interested.

Is there a risk? Certainly. I will not be in Burma to supervise. I am basing my support on my relationship with Lal Lian, and all you have is your trust in my judgment. That is why this request places the heaviest risk with Shelby and me. We are willing to make a large investment, because we trust Lal Lian.

If you would like to help, please send a check to Apple Ridge Ministries, PO Box 80, Orrtanna, PA 17353. If you are American, you will receive a receipt for 2009 to support a tax deduction. We need to get the money over to Thailand (for him to carry into Burma) in March, so if you are interested in helping, please do not put it off.

We will be keeping in touch with Lal Lian and his brother, and will update those who decide to become involved.

THANK YOU!

New Blog

Between A Rock and A Hard Place has moved so that I may share my thoughts there. This blog will keep the same URL, but the name has changed to be Thailand-specific.

Over at Between A Rock and A Hard Place, I will share more of what I have been teaching, as well as what I have been learning as I study, read, and prepare my classes. Some of it will be thinking out loud, sharing my journey, and asking for input.

If that appeals to you, join me. See you there!

More Wanderings

La Nu Nan, Jay and Nathan sporting their new Karen tribal shirts they received as gifts from our brethren in the camps. Jay is Karen and was very helpful in communicating with the "authorities" (not to mention that he is a smooth talker).





One Of those dams I have told you about. This one has a gate- the water never flows over it. Notice the outlet on the left bank.

I discovered that there are 2 Snake Farms in Mae Ram. First I went to the one furthest away. The kids got al the attention. Here they enjoy a Burmese Python. These guys were not the least afraid of any of the snakes.

Medusa?

They only gave me one. For those that know me, this is something I do at home just to irritate my wife. Unlike home, however, these snakes were so used to people they couldn't have cared less.

The way these children seemed so relaxed around the snakes, you'd think they were raised by some.

I visited the pantry :)

Python pantry.

This cobra played the part. It struck this pose with every new arrival, but once I was there for a half minute or so, it was used to me and did not react to my movement. These guys stayed in their cages, of course.

Each of the Snake Farms had a show. They were VERY similar. Lotsa schtick, but entertaining. The cobras gave us all some nice picture-taking poses.

"Snake man" showing some love.

Python showing off. I do not think it was really mad, although Sankeman would dance around it, which I guess could irritate it. I just don't know. Three or 4 times a day, every day, for how many years? They are actors.

Handler threw the python into the pool and dove in after it. Guy on the mike makes it sound dramatic, like the fellow is being strangled- good facial expression to go along with it.

Between Snake Farms, I saw this pickup pile high with cabbages. It is a common sight- small trucks loaded with some kind of produce.

This one is for Brady and Jayme.

The second Farm had other animals as well (not just snake food). This guy was preoccupied with checking his leg for fleas or something and would not even pay any attention to me.














Peacock.

A flower for Nahan's ladies.

Each place had these big concrete rings with a bush inside. All over the bush were these snakes, who seemed to enjoy snuggling.

Interesting sign at the second show. Kinda part of the act, too. They regularly pretend that they are letting a snake go, or they act like they are dropping it when they bring it around to show you. At the first show, they picked on a certain section the whole time and got a huge reaction from them. It was funny.

Touching the cobra on the nose.

Nice pose.

Under the hood.

At this place, they at least let us interact (very briefly) with the python.

Well, it's been 7 weeks since I have kissed my wife. Gotta get the attention where you can.

I think this was the coconut snake, or something like that. They would make a big deal about how far these guys could jump...up to 6 meters! (not really) Then after hyping this "fact" and playing around with the box/cage, they would grab a rope and throw it up in the audience. Did this at both shows and it got quite a reaction both times.

They would move around a lot to get some action out of these snakes which probably just wanted to go back in the cage and go to sleep.













On the way home, I found out where the pickup was headed.

Back to my new favorite restaurant, which has a different name if you read this sign.

Pic for Kate and McKenna.

Today, I tried some of the San Francisco ice cream. Now, this was REAL ice cream. (ie, American)

Huge trees all around in northern Thailand. This one next to the restaurant looks just like a mimosa, pods and all, just bigger.

Good-bye for now.