Let's make coffee!!!

In Thailand people sleep very little--which may explain why caffinine is readily available in any form anywhere here. Energy Drinks come in plenty, coffee stands of various kinds are everywhere you can get nescafe, powdered drip coffee, real coffee-- you can get it sweet or not sweet, hot or cold. I liked coffee before coming to Thailand, but living with a roomate who has a cup every day and in a city where it comes in plethera--I've started to enjoy it even more. Coffee has also been a place of great relationship building and language pratice. Almost every Saturday I go to small coffee shop really close to my house and talk with the sister and sister-in-law who run it--their becoming Thai friends of mine. Some days I get some by the bus stop and they too know my name and my order before I even say it. Coffee has become a casual friendship builder and a way to feel a little know in this massive city. It also helps that when I get coffee here it is never more than $1.00. ( Another reason I don't understand why starbucks are so popular here when thier cup of coffee is still $3.50, and I can get good coffee for $1.00--it must be the rasberry syrup :) )

But who would of thought that Rat's like coffee too. Yes that's right Rat's in my house like to make coffee. One morning Sara and I woke up only to find that Rat's had made morning coffee for sara and I. --it's was almost like Ratatouille.
Here's how Rat's make coffee--maybe as strong as french press.
Step 1--knock down a full glass bottle of instant Nescafe red cup
Step 2- Roll around in water and or lick the coffee to become sticky paste all over the floor
Step 3--If you let it steam for several minutes it becomes even stronger
Step 4--Add water while trying to mop the coffee ( this is my part, the rat is too small to do it by
it's self)
Step 5--Add more water and soap while still trying to mop the coffee up
Step 6--repeat steps 4 and 5 about 5-6 more times--each time more coffee being produced
Step 7--drink and enjoy--okay just kidding Sara and I really didn't drink the coffee, but I think the rats might of because they seemed more active and jittery that night.
Can Rat's get coffee buzzed???

Hospitality of Thailand

So as mentioned before Thai people are very generous and hospitible. They love exchanging gifts and have an impecable memory for how much things cost. If you give them something they will give you something back of equal value (sometimes to the 1 baht ). This has always been a fun thing about being here and getting to know my neighbors. They love to share.

Since being in Thailand i've recieved many different kinds of fruits, fried chicken, various curryies, a wrap around skirt with elephants on it, an eraser, a go green in Thailand bag, hair conditionier, Thai desserts ect. You get the point we exhange a lot, many of this is from my language partner who is still trying to find ways to "pay" me for teaching her english. Sara and I have picked up some ques and have learned how to exhange gifts with her as well. Some of it is from other neighbors who see me passing by. So far I've enjoyed just about everything, but last night I got the best gift yet. A bowling shirt. My neighbor bought it and then decided it was a little to big for her, so she wanted me to have it. It was very thoughtful of her....

I'm not so sure I want to wear this huge bowling shirt around, I mean it does say hot hot vegas, Bang Bang bowling, so maybe i just sport it once or twice in the privacy of my house when she comes over --- just to be polite.

How do I ever give an exchange gift for this one????? Not quite sure, I'll fiqure it out.

They say cultural shock will hit

So I didn't think cultural shock would really affect me, but apparently a string of small things can cause someone to feel a little crazy.
This past week--I think I understand the sense of feeling a little out of control. Thankfully I serve a God who is in control especially when I am not.

Episode 1) I mention to my neighbor that I want to get a haircut--which means she leads me out of my house to a local hair salon at 9pm in the evening. Where my head is massaged, washed. I'm siting in the chair and my neighbor and hair dresser proceed to speak really fast in Thai about my hair to each other. I keep hearing , "it's better, it's better" What's better?--oh snip--the bangs I had intentionally worked for 1 year and 1/2 to grow out were back in a split second.

Episode 2) I go to order a cold tea from a place I have gotten cold tea from before only to recieve a salty fruit smoothie with tomatoes in it. NOT GOOD may I add.

So far in my week, I'm handing things well for I am a flexible person and really none of this is a big deal...

Episode 3) See and hear rats running behind my head while I"m sleeping for several nights in a row. (nothing new right?) One night one of my earplugs fell out and I was woken up to hear rats but my earplug was no where to be found. Strange you think

Episode 4) In response to episode 3 I put out 25=30 pieces of rat poison to find the next mornig all of them devoured.

Episode 5) The rats have not only eaten all of the pieces I left out for them but have found the stash of rat poision in the drawer we have. Not only did they open the sealed box but then decided to scatter the rat posion through out other drawers. Yes there were chewed up pieces of rat poison all through out my clothing drawers.

Still doing good. Only slightly annoyed. And then Sara and I come home last night.

Episode 6) Found the missing earplug from nights before--it was in my clothing drawer clearly chewed up.

Episode 7) Ants had managed to make their way into a new unopened bag of rice. They were all throughout the bag. How do Ants get into an Unopened bag of Rice. AHHH

Episode 8) After dinner I head to the restroom. Only to find a dead baby rat on our bathroom floor. (yes this is the 3rd time we have had a rat just dye on our floor)

I start to loose it. I'm laughing and screaming, " I don't like rats" (in Thai, may I add.) But still laughing.

Episode 9) Getting on the bus this morning I end up wacking my head as I go to sit down on the bus--quick need a destraction so I don't cry on public transportation. I open my wallet only to see wallet sized photos of my family that I love so much. Close wallet, not helping.

Episode 10) ****** Special note, This happened while I was typing this email********
I'm sitting at my desk and an ant crawls on my arm.

Not major right?, Episode 10 was the straw that broke the camels back. I lost it. Shook the ant off my arm and starting weeping, sobbing. Intermixed with lauging.
While in Pomona we had a motto. Laugh or Cry, well in bangkok when Cultural shock officially hits--it's a mixure of both. Sob and Laugh, Weep and Cry.

***my teammate lexie was in the office at the time, and at first look really confused, and then comforted me and prayed for me, Encouraging me with her own stories of cultural shock. It's normal even when the events really aren't normal. *****

Thankfully I have a God who is in control even when I definelty am not.

Say it like it is.

So first off yesterday I saw a dog being walked by it's owner. Not strange, but what made this one unique was that the dog had dyed eyebrows. Yes I saw it correctly. The owner had dyed her dog's fur to look like it had eye brows. Somethimes this land is so strange.

But speaking of camparisions, Thailand loves to make blunt and direct comparisions about anything and everything. Thankfully I feel pretty secure about my self, but I have to say the things people say are funny.
On the same day wearing the same outfit I have some people telling me Christy you're getting fatter, and some other people say Christy you're getting skinnier. On the same day.
One older lady in my neighbor hood, everytime she sees me squeezes my arm and in the most loving tone possible says, "ahh you're fat, just perfect."
Recently my landlord has been loving to tell me that when she first met me I was fat, but now I am skinny--my stomach is smaller, my neck is longer (how that is possible I'm not sure), but one part of me is still big--it's the part that is never big on Thai's. Let's just say Thai's love to comment on that which is different from me and them :) This same landlord loves to tell me, "Don't eat western food like bread or choclate because it will make you fat.", but yesterday she and my language partner Goop suddenly changed their mind. Christy you keep getting skinnier and skinnier, You need to eat more Thai dessert because if your mom and dad see you they will think that Thai people starve you. Eat more Thai food we don't want your parents to worry about you.
I assured them that I'm not wasting away or that my parents aren't worried about me starving here- I do eat plently of Thai food.

So apperently I can be fat or skinny and depending on the person and the day I'm just right.

Personally I think it is funny how blunt and endering Thai people can be--it's kind of freeing to just hear it like it is without feeling affended.

When it rains it pours

So last week, Ironically it's raining now which is why I have time to post this, it rained. And by it rained I mean IT RAINED. I have never seen such down pour in my life. Streets were flooded in about 5 minutes. ( okay for you california's this is not normal anywhere but California--especially in the city of Bangkok where they are built for massive amounts of rain). Thai people were saying, "I'm scared" It was pretty ridiculous. Where was I, you ask? I was getting off the bus. Water was bouncing off the streets and umbrella or not, eveyone was drenced. I ran from the busstop to get under a canonopy where they sell fruit and food. Many people where standing under this tarp hoping to wait out the rain, when Thunder, lightening, and tarp ripping all happened simutanously. Water proceeded to stream like a water fall into the market. Thai's were screaming and running for better cover. One women grapped be by the elbow and said, "It's better over there." We managed to crowd under a metal overpass with many other nervous Thai's. I --not understanding that this storm was absolutlely crazy was intriqued. I felt cared for by a Thai woman I don't even know and stunned by the reality that rain could fall that hard. Everyone starts to calm down when a huge centipitee starts crawling our way. This erupts the Thai's again and everyone is screaming --doing the "I think there is a bug on me dance". And then someone shouts ,"There is a foriener here". That's right their talking about me. Everyone looks, I smile and wave and all hovering and calmness return to order. I'm not sure what surprised them more --the lightening, the centipide or the white girl standing amongst them. When the rain let up a little bit I ran to the place where I pick up the next mode of transportation. And yes it starts to pour yet again and the mini bus isn't there. I wait under another pass with more Thai's--all staring out at the ridicoulous rain fall. I look over and who do I see, but my landlord--completely sopping. She forgot her umbrella. We talk for a while and then she drags me to a bus I didn't even know exsisted. When we get off the bus, It's still raining, so we proceed to hug each other and walk under my umbrella together. Nothing brings two people closer together than getting caught in the rain that falls harder that cats and dogs. It was a really fun time.

Unfortunately some of my neighbors lost thier roofs, but I'm happy to report that the next day they where laughing about it and helping each other rebuild that which blew away.

I'm in California or what? I'm in Bangkok?

So there's many ways California has prepared me for life in Bangkok, but there are many ways I'm in a completely foriegn world.
Here's some of the similarities and differences.
Bangkok is a big city, full of a variety of people--just like LA
Depending on the traffic it can take 20 minutes or 2 hours to arrive--Just like LA
Traveling on an extremely crowded bus and loosing your balance--Not like the LA I know
( side note, sometimes I wish I had learned to surf because I'm pretty sure that would help me on the bus,--Note!!! I have gotten much better at bus balance since being here. I'm a pro now.)
Dealing with bugs and mosquitos--Just like camping with the family
Dealing with bugs the size of my fist--Not like the world I know
Trapping mice in traps and throwing them out--Just like Pomona
Having rats run over the rafters or eating the wall where you sleep--Bangkok true and blue
Not speaking a langugage clearly or correctly all the time--OH Wait that's the same in both.
Wearing flip flops everyday because you can---Cali you prepared me well
Carrying an umbrella everyday b/c it's either really hot or raining --I didn't even own one in LA

It's officially raining season and it really does down pour everyday. At least it's not too hot for a couple of hours a day.

Honestly I really do love it here. Bangkok and my community is really starting to feel like home, so prepared or new adventures I'm here to stay for a while.

Back to Kindergarten

This past week I started reading and writing Thai. It means I passed preschool and now am learning how the strange letters work together. They say culture shock is like being an infant once again-helpless and in need of help from those who know. In many ways learning to read and write really does make me like a 5 year old. I’m suddenly excited when I see letters and sounds on the streets that I didn’t notice before. I can read part of a word but sometimes not the whole word, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to shout that says ja (will) or that says teengmoo (watermelon). A whole new world of Bangkok is opening up before my eyes. My neighbors are excited as well. They repeatedly have been saying “oh your getting better at Thai, you can speak so well now. You are smart.” Yes it may just be kindergarten encouragement, but I’m soaking it up. When you learning something brand new hearing you’re doing well really helps me want to keep getting better.
So here’s to reading!!!
Crow eats crab. Fish in curry plate. Return home. Sheep fell in well and died. Father drinks. Child drinks following father. ……