Pivotal December

      This month was quite a busy month. I started the month signing up to be the page turner for a musical that was debuting in Chiang Mai. It was a musical based on a young Kachin women's supposed rescue by an NGO. It shed light on the reality that sometimes NGO's here don't always have the full story on the women that they are trying to rescue. Some of the women were not trafficked but came into Thailand to earn money to send back to their family in Burma. Some of them become sex workers by choice not by force and as this one woman was portrayed, she didn't need rescuing. She needed to return to work but was being coerced instead into testifying against a brothel owner that the NGO's mistakenly thought was her trafficker. The cast consisted of 3 professional actresses flown in from L.A. and a director and composer/author also from L.A.       There were also 3 local actresses- 2 of whom I knew from my previous play.  It was fun to be able to work on this production and listen to the amazing music night after night. The last performance was the most emotional for all of us because the audience had a large number of Kachin people in attendance.  The writer had conducted many interviews here in Thailand in order to have the play as accurate as possible and one of the characters was based on a woman who was in attendance on the last day. There were subtitles in Thai, Burmese and English so everyone could enjoy the show.  It was an amazing experience as well as the experience of meeting people in the industry.
   This month is also pivotal as I finally have a potential and very likely open door for a job down in southern Thailand. I've been asked to interview with a montessori that wants to expand. I don't know yet what my role would be but just that they were very interested in me. I've been praying about moving down there and trusting that God would open the door and I'll know when I head down there in a couple of days whether or not that door is open.  I'm very excited and bummed that this is the year I met a whole new group of people to hang out with and get to know but in other ways it's felt like closure was happening here. I'm excited to see how it all looks in the end.

Cast and Crew of Land of Smiles

Post Laramie, Art in Paradise and When is Thanksgiving

              So now that I've been done with the Laramie Project for over a month, I've been finding other ways to keep busy. I am currently in two choirs. One that is weekly and we sing songs mostly from Balkan countries but some from other places like Africa. It's a fun group of people. The other choir is through my English church. It is a Christmas Choir and will have our last performance on Christmas eve or the weekend before. Still being decided. My elementary drama club is gearing up to have a performance in a couple of weeks. They are a very active group so it's good that they have somewhere to channel their energy. The group is currently composed of 3rd and 4th graders.
               For the month of November I decided to take on a writing challenge. It's part of National Novel Writing Month. Basically I need to write at least 50,000 words  in one month. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to take the challenge as it took me a year to write 57,000 words for one of my books. But I came up with a topic that I was excited about and so I signed up 2 days before the month started. I finished my 50,000 word minimum in 3 weeks. Once I got within 10,000 words of the goal, I started increasing my daily word count. I had started with 2,000 words a day and sometimes I would write more to make up for days when I didn't have as much time to write. I completely changed the way I approach writing as a result. I'm currently at 52,000 words and still going as my story needs an ending. I expect to finish soon though but hoping to write daily until then. But I haven't been pushing myself to do 2,000 words though. I found it difficult to make time for people and other things when I was doing that goal so now I'm giving myself a lighter goal.
This weekend I went to this amazing 3D illusion museum. Normally I don't goto museums as I get bored easily. I usually need something more stimulating. This 3D museum which I had seen pictures of and heard about has many opportunities for people to actually be a part of the picture. It's important to take at least one friend when going so you can take pictures of each other. It just so happened that the friend I went with likes to photograph things and has a really nice camera. So we got some nice shots.

Don't eat me

took up surfing

I'll take some

one of my favorites

Pulling teeth

Helping tie a shoe

I've learned to hang out on walls

one of my scarier excursions

checking out Tut's tomb

sharing a drink

who needs cars?

just a little adventure

Didn't see that one coming

the bridge was a little rickety

I became an artist

so I didn't get the memo on how to dress

Finally I'm tall

I'm louder

Another favorite

This was fun

The meerkats let me join them

     So I realized that I am truly in Thailand when I don't even know when Thanksgiving is. My school didn't even do a half day for it this year so I have to work all day and who knows after that as I have no plans. But literally I was searching the internet trying to find the actual day of Thanksgiving. That's how out of the loop I've been.

The Laramie Project

reenacting and forgetting half the lines

For the past 3 months, I have found both solitude and challenge in my new project.  I was cast to play Zubaida Ula- an Islamist Feminist and Rulon Stacey- a Mormon CEO of a hospital in The Laramie Project.  This is the first play that I've done in Chiang Mai and the first play I've done in probably 4 years.  It was so much fun getting to know new people who I might have not otherwise crossed paths with and just rediscovering my love of theatre.  I put everything I had into my roles.  I put my anger into Zubaida and my sadness into Rulon.  It was exhausting and I frequently spent the following scene after Rulon's last monologue-trying to get happy and stop sniffling.  But I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.  This is who God made me to be.  I only wish Chiang Mai had more opportunities.  I did audition for a role in a movie to be filmed here.  I kind of suspect I'll be an extra.  But that will be fun too as I've never been one. Sometimes being here can be so lonely as a single person.  But I'm so grateful for the people that God puts in my life.  I'm currently involved in two choirs now.  I sing in Global Harmonies- a choir that is not in English.  And the Christmas Choir for Chiang Mai Community Church.

reenacting my favorite monologue at the cast party

September

    Hello new school year!  Let's just say that this school year wasn't as smooth sailing as I was hoping for.  Its been quite an adjustment having an assistant.  And then trying to figure out how to best serve a child who needs one-one help in a school that can't provide it. Its been a bit stressful.  Things are better now as the quarter gets closer to an end.  But there are still big challenges.
   On the bright side.  I'm a month away from opening night for a play.  I'm performing in The Laramie Project with the Gate Theater.  Its the only English theater in town. Its been great being in a play again. Its a been a few years since I was last in one.  I love getting to know another group of people here that I wouldn't otherwise meet.  And in a couple of days, I'm going to check out a new choir.  My previous choir ended abruptly in January and I've been looking for other avenues since.  I found this choir and next month I'll be joining a Christmas choir for the Chiang Mai Community Church. 

Back in Thailand

I've been back in Thailand now for 4 days now after spending a month in China.  My cats let me sleep in 1 of those days.  I've been back at work for 2 days now.  I have a new appreciation for what I have here.  China was both a rewarding and challenging experience.  I was ready to go home by the second week because I missed my cats and my space.  In China, I was sharing a small space with 5 girls- 4 of whom were close to 20 years younger than me.  And we didn't speak each other's language.  But they were nice to me and me to them and we tried not to be too loud when people were sleeping.  But I missed having a large bed to myself that didn't move everytime I did.  I missed having my own bathroom with a toilet that flushed.  The one I used for 3 weeks required the user to run water in a bucket while doing business and then dump it in the whole in the floor when finished.  I spent the evenings that i wasn't visiting friends, in the office where there was internet, a flushing toilet and a couch.

Damaris and I- former housemate reunited

I did get to visit my former housemate from when I lived in China 6 years ago.  She had me over 3 times for dinner with her family.  I appreciated the change from the cafeteria food that I usually ate.  The only challenge was getting home as taxi drivers didn't seem to know where the center was.  I also think that they were confused that a foreigner would want to go there at night.  My 2nd to last night in the center, I ended up in a taxi that took me part way and then quit.  Literally wanted me out of the taxi and I had no idea where I was.  Thankfully there was a hotel nearby and helpful staff and I had my English speaking colleagues number with me.  She walked over and walked me back to the center.  Apparently I was quite close.

fun in the office

getting my hair done

Over all, despite nearly cutting my trip short but choosing to stay put and little inconveniences, I did enjoy teaching the kids.  I was there long enough to start building a relationship with them.  Some of them I remember from my trip 4 years ago.  I can't even imagine what's it like to live in a center every day and not see hardly any of the outside world.  The kids do get outings from time to time but not like what the rest of us are used to.  Hopefully many of them will be adopted this year.  There are so many cool kids there.
I'm also appreciative of the directors-Amanda that I worked with and the one who took me to her home on weekends and the other one-Julia was in the room that I shared.  And for the assistant director with his humor.


Hopefully next summer I can plan another trip.  Its much easier to make the trip from Thailand than from America.

Halfway Through

I've hit the halfway mark of my time here in China.  I have to admit that last week, I was ready to cut it short a week.  My cats are unhappy back in Thailand and it seemed like I had  left a bigger job than planned for my pet sitters.  I'm extremely grateful that they are willing to pick up after my cats and put up with their 'presents'.  
I decided to stay my original planned time here.  I felt like I hadn't heard God confirm that I should leave and I really wanted to hear that before I changed anything.  I won't deny that I do miss my home in Thailand.  I've been gone for most of the summer already and it was harder in the second half than I had originally thought.  I think part of it had to do with what I'm doing and where I'm at.  I'm in Shenzhen now after spending my first week in China in Dongguan.  The two cities are about an hour and a half by bus apart.  I had thought that Shenzhen would be easier because I've been to this Social Welfare building before and I know a few people in Shenzhen.  I also know a little about how to get around.  But now I'm staying at the Social Welfare Center and that is challenging.  Its a small room that I'm in with 3 bunkbeds.  There are 3 rooms total in our little apartment.  We share 1 shower and one toilet for all the rooms.  If all beds are filled, then its 10 women.  We have a sink outside both the shower and toilet rooms with multiple faucets which is helpful.  I wash all of my clothes by hand and hang them outside our bedroom.  Its not the cleanest and or nicest of living areas but it doesn't cost me anything and its convenient to my volunteering location.  I've spent the weekends so far at the Bauer's and at Amanda's house-my 'boss' at Bao'an-Shenzhen.  Its a nice change to have a bedroom of my own on the weekends.  Its a luxury now.  I eat all my meals usually at the center also.  I've been able to get away on one and soon to be two occasions during the week to have dinner with an old friend and her family.
Volunteering isn't easy I will admit.  Its easier doing a short stint and I chose to do 4 weeks.  I've had to completely rethink how I teach because what I have done in the past doesn't work here.  The kids don't have the structure from the school year but they do need things to grab their attention.  So I've been doing a lot of games and music during English class.  I don't have to think as much for the cooking class since its planned a little more in advance and doesn't meet as often as English.
The kids are adorable of course and I think a lot more have warmed up to me.  I remember some from my last visit.  It can be challenging to know how to engage so many different personalities and adapt to disabilities  that are so diverse and most of them don't know any English.  I'm trying to find ways to engage the students that the teachers typically put in the back of the class and ignore.  Those kids light up when they are included.  I'm hoping that in the time that I'm here, I can show them ways to keep including all students, not just the ones who are less disabled.

Week 1 in China.

China-Dongguan-Sunshine Academy

Day 1- flexibility is key.  What I planned is not necessarily what I am going to teach.  So I am quickly making changes.  Huge language barriers but everyone is very kind.  I like my co teacher Crystal for cooking.  She tries very hard to get past the language barrier and has great ideas.

Day 2- I’m starting to get a feel for how to lead a class with every fiber of my being and to do it 5 times.  I was tired by the 3^rd time.  It’s a completely different way of teaching for me. It’s probably what preschool teachers are used to if they aren’t tired.  At least cooking class was amusing for the kids.  Language class is more challenging for me partly I think because I’m not the person creating the activities so I’m trying to do someone else’s project.  So I have to remember different parts and today I was forgetting the order of things and having to make modifications on the spot.  The Ice cream lesson in cooking had varying results.  One class actually had some solid ice cream.  One class had mixed results and one was liquid.  The kids enjoyed it anyways.

Day 3

My first day running up against noticeable cultural differences and what happens when I can’t effectively communicate to people I am with.  I learned another way to make French toast after teaching the children the American way.  Crystal made a Chinese French toast for me.  I also discovered that cooking without oil is completely foreign here.  I probably should have said yes when they offered.  I was not able to tell the other ladies what I wanted the children to do so they were worried about children getting burned and in the end the children were barely even involved in the process and more in the waiting.  I didn’t want to spend time explaining in front of the children so I let it go.  The kids are excited generally when we come into class to cook.  They look forward to it.  Tomorrow I will try a new class.  Hope they are equally excited.  Another thing I noticed is that the kids are not used to picking things up with their hands and eating it.   Some kids figured it out quickly.  Others looked at the food for a little while and had to be encouraged to go for it.

I’ve also noticed that the kids have a lot of good independence skills.  I’m guessing that they were learned out of necessity.  The first graders can get in and out of wheelchairs and around on the floor with amazing speed.  All of the kids have great smiles.  Most are very curious.  One student wanted me to name everything.

The rainbow kids gave me hugs and kisses today.  They are so sweet!

Day 4

Cooking was great today.  The kids love the taco salad or rather our version.  I did a class with the Eagles today.  Discovered how great they are.  Craig was my little organizer.  He wanted to make sure everything on my cart was in its place. I love how curious the kids are.

I visited the younger kids at Sunshine Academy–the 2 yr olds I think.  One just wanted to hug me the hold time. I could totally take her home.  She was so precious.  

Day 5

Today was my last day in Dongguan.  It was a little shorter than I expected but it made it so I got to Shenzhen at a reasonable hour.  Sad to leave the kids but looking forward to my next bunch.  I'm spending the weekend with my friends, the Bauers.  I will most likely see them next in American the next time I'm there as they are moving.  Nice thing about Shenzhen, is that I know my way around a little bit.  So I have a plan of some people I want to see and places to go when I have a moment.

Wow! That was fast!

Redwoods

My cousin Michael, brother Paul, and my 98 yr old grandpa

     

That is the best way to describe the first part of my summer vacation. I literally left Thailand only a few hours after playing the hymn for the highschool graduation. I went to Sacramento and Arcata first to see family. It worked out perfectly that my cousin was coming into town during the same time period. I was able to get a ride back to the Bay Area with him in order to connect with my ride to Santa Cruz county. But before that I retrieved my phone from SFO where it had been lost literally since I arrived in the USA. Apparently I dropped it in my haste to flag down my mom and get in her car. Thank heavens someone turned it in. Before I connected with my SC ride, I was able to meet up with my other cousin who lives in Mountain View. We had a nice time of catching up as well. I love catching up with people who I haven't seen in a while. I hadn't seen cousin number one- Michael since our childhood and cousin number 2 - Amara- since before I left for Thailand.

My Jr VBSers working together as a team

After visiting the family, I headed to Santa Cruz county to visit friends and participate in VBS. I was asked by someone who doesn't know about our VBS why I would work on my vacation. VBS can be explained but its much better if its experienced. Cuz once you experience it, you want to do it again. And this is the adult perspective. The kids say its better than Disneyland. Its a great time to serve, hang out with people, meet new people and learn new stuff about myself. I stayed at two different houses during VBS and the week after VBS. I also accomplished things outside of VBS like clearing my teaching credential for CA. Its my last paperwork step and renewing it after this is much easier. I'm still awaiting final word but my paperwork part is done. It required a lot of proactivity on my part since my school is currently without a credential analyst. But since I don't know what next summer holds and really don't want to postpone yet another year, I made sure all my paperwork was done and turned in this year. I should hear soon though. Now I'm back in Thailand preparing for my next summer adventure, China!

Scouts Team and our helpers Chloe and Bella

13 Days til Departure!

      13 Days til I hop a plane for the USA.  Hard to believe another year is about done.  Its been a crazy past few weeks.  A couple of weeks ago, the choir director for our highschool asked if I could play accompaniment for the choir.  They were going to be doing a medley of songs from Les Miserables and needed someone to play.  So far they didn't have anyone.  When I first attempted to play the music, I thought, there is no way I can pull this off in less than 2 weeks.  I hadn't practiced the piano at all in weeks and this was a long piece-around 10-15 worth of playing.  But after realizing, the choir was in a bind and the piece wasn't impossible to play, I agreed to tackle it.  The first week I practiced on my own at home, at work when I could find an available piano and and other free moment.  The second week was the same but I started practicing with the choir.  The first day was a train wreck.  I didn't realize I would be nervous, the speed, the timing there were so many things wrong.  I'm used to playing alone except for my days being on the worship team.  I had a total of 3 practices with the choir.  The next two were better but full of errors.  I decided to embrace my nervousness head on and decided that I would enjoy doing it no matter how messed up it was.  In the actual performance, there were loads of errors.  Not sure how many were obvious but they felt obvious.  There were parts that were totally fine.  The next day, people complemented me on playing.  I guess its all about perception.  My next task-graduation.  I'm playing a hymn that everyone traditionally sings along to.  Its a one page song that is totally playable.  Thank heavens!

      I'm also finally thinking about my trips.  I have two big ones this summer.  The first is to America to see family and friends, clear my teaching credential and do VBS- all in 3 weeks.  The second trip occurs 6 days after the first.  I will goto Shenzhen, China and help out with the summer camp for the orphans at Sunshine Academy.  I don't know exactly what I'll be doing but it should be fun.  I'm looking forward to both trips.

End of Year Two

Blue Pond

Its hard to believe that its nearly the end of another school year.  It seems like it just flew by.  We finished another spring break only a couple of weeks ago.  I head south to Ao Nang- my second Thai home.  It was fun hanging out with my friends again.  We spent one day at Railay Beach as well, swimming in the sea and climbing down rocks to the lagoon.

A cave on Railay Beach that is supposed to be for fertility.  I call it the  phalic cave

Now back at work, I'm doing end of the year testing and scheduling IEP meetings for those of my students who need it.  

The lagoon we rock climbed to

This is the year that my two year contract ends.  I had the option of leaving at the end of the school year or sign a new contract.  I had hoped to get a job in Southern Thailand but apparently that is something that God is going to have me wait a little longer for.  I've known since the first or second month after I moved to Thailand that I was going to be staying here beyond my two year contract.  Thailand has been a really good fit.  I'm still learning new things and meeting new people.  But I'm also discovering new things about myself.  I've been learning to be the person who stands up for my students and learning that my opinion matters too.  I'm learning to be more bold.  

my future pastor and her daughter

Getting a Thai License

Getting a Thai license.  It sounded easy.  I thought that getting an International Driving permit would make the process easier.  It didn't.  Even though nothing in the actual driver training has to do with motorbikes, my licenses did not exclude me from going through the process.  The process involves a color blindness test.  I simply named the color that they pointed to on a chart.Then the reaction test.  I press the gas pedal until I get a light to press the break.  You fail if you don't press the brake fast enough.  Then I had to ask for help because I didn't know where to go.  Everything up to this point was in Thai.  I was given a booklet of rules in multiple languages including English and ushered into a room with a lot of other people.  For the next 4 hrs, we were given a movie, lots of instruction and explanation of traffic signs- all in Thai.  I zoned out after the first hour.  It became clear that I didn't know enough Thai to follow along.  Thank heavens for the other foreigner in the room who knew more Thai.  He helped me to figure out what to do when directions were given like breaks.  After the training we went to take the test.  I failed the first time.  I didn't understand everything in the test though.  Some of the answers made no sense and I had to pick answers like: what is prohibited- driving after taking a diarrhea med, driving when there are heart attack symptoms and other random questions.  Or worse answers, that weren't completely translated.  I had been told prior that I could retake the test immediately if I asked. So I did.. multiple times. Finally they gave me the card for retaking.  I passed the second time.  Then I headed to the driving test.  Compared to America, it was nothing.  I drove around cones, drove on a plank and turned a corner.  Then I went back to the main building and paid and got my picture taken.  After 6+ hrs, they handed me a license.  I was on Thai language overload at that point.  But I've heard that I might not need so much time to renew it next year.  My license since its my first, is only valid for a year.  After that for 5 yrs.
School is wrapping up in only a couple of months.  Spring break in 2 days-much needed. and 6 weeks later I'll be in America. Hard to believe 2 yrs in Thailand is almost done. But I'm here in Thailand for much longer. I signed another contract in Chiang Mai and I'm still praying on Southern Thailand.  I have one foot in Northern Thailand and one foot in Southern Thailand. 

I realized that it had been a lot longer that I thought since I last blogged.  Time flies!  Its almost March!  In barely over a month we will have our spring break with 2 weeks off.  After that its only 6 weeks left in the school year.  Its flying by.  This month has been mostly uneventful.  I'm currently trying to plan a trip to Chiang Rai with a couple of friends.  My schedule is pretty easy since I'll be off during that time but theirs is not.  But we have to plan soon however as the big Songkran holiday is coming during April.  This is why I want to get out of Chiang Mai. Songkran is a giant water fight that actually starts a few days earlier in Chiang Mai because this is party central as far as that holiday is concerned.  There are Buddhist roots but the water is the most noticeable part of it.  The rest of Thailand also celebrates but on a smaller scale.  It gets crazy and full of traffic here.  In Chiang Rai, I want to visit a family who lives with the Akha tribe and see what their ministry looks like.
One of the really cool things about being in Thailand is that I get to see missionaries in the field in action.  In America, we have things we do for Christ but we are so busy with life in general, its hard to see it.  Here I can see it.  I see all of it in fact.  I see families and singles going for it and loving life.  I also see families in turmoil because they got off track somewhere along the way and their kids are coming in second or third to their mission.  But what I like most is seeing what people are doing.  Last year I stayed the night at a home that rescues kids from the sex trade and does outreach in the prisons.  God has been protecting them from the people who want to kill them for taking these kids.
There are my friends in the south who I hope to join one day who use Muay Thai- a national sport to reach people for Christ.  Don't worry, I won't be doing Muay Thai but rather joining the fellowship.  My body could never handle that sport. :) Some of you know our friends in Mae Sot who reach out to the people there and the children in the home.  They built a new home last year.  Those are just some of the people I have met since I've been here.
My Church in in Chiang Mai has 3 children's homes however only one is close by.  Those are the only kids I really know.  Our congregation is comprised of mostly college age students.  If you were to come to a service, you may need earplugs if you aren't used to loud worship.  But we love it. If you are thinking of coming to Thailand, come visit Seng Sawang church.
If you're thinking my thai must be awesome by now, umm well not really but is coming along.  My hearing gets in the way most frequently as I don't hear everything I need to make sense of things.  I also forget a lot of words which drives me nuts.  But on the plus side, my reading is getting a little better.  I try to read worship songs so I can worship in Thai instead of falling back on English(if they put it on the screen) all the time.  Sometimes, I attend an English church in town later in the day so  I can hear things in English once in a while.  I joined one of their worship teams(have no idea how many they actually have-maybe 4 or 5). Totally loving that even though I've only done it once.  I'm getting so much bolder in singing.  Its nice to sing and focus on the words rather than how freaked out I am.

6th Grade Dance from our recent Thai Day celebration

The walk up to the Doi Suthep temple with Aunt Carol

Before the zipline with Aunt Carol

By the way, if you are wondering, I will be in CA only from June 7-28.  I plan to spend 2-3 weeks of July helping at the Sunshine Academy summer camp in China.
I also forgot to mention that I had a wonderful visit with my aunt Carol.  She's my first family member to make it over here for a visit.  We did as much as possible during the 4 days she spent in Chiang Mai.  We did the zipline through the jungle.  Mind you, it wasn't one line, it was more than I could count high above the ground.  I stopped hanging on by the end. It was a blast.  We also went to the Maekampong waterfall on the same trip.  We hit up the Maesa elephant camp but didn't get to ride elephants.  We went rafting in Chiang Dao.  We hit up the local walking streets and went up to Doi Suthep.  A local mountain with a temple on top.  I still think Wat Thum Seua in Ao Nang is more impressive though.