A Remembrance of Things Past #1

Well, here we are. Undoubtedly, most of you have been waiting on pins and needles to hear of our adventures over the last couple of weeks and (even better) to see pictures. Well, the pictures are on their way. But for now, let us reminisce verbally.

Mom and Dad arrived early Sabbath morning 2 1/2 weeks ago, and from that point on, there was nothing but a frenzy of activity as we took them to see and experience as much as we could handle. As we are not used to running around a lot (we have become accustomed to sitting a lot and doing things at home or at the school), we get tired easily. But that didn't stop us from kicking up a storm. From the whole experience, I learned that mom is a chronic shopper and dad "think[s] [he] could retire here." Crazy, I know!

I won't give you a blow by blow, as that could take weeks to write and read, but here are some of the highlights of the weeks. We started by going up north to Maetamann Elephant Camp, which we had never been to, and boy were we in for a treat! When we finally figured out where we were supposed to go, we found ourselves looking at a fun day. We paid 1000 Baht each (probably more than we should have, but still relatively cheap for what we got) for the whole package deal. It started with elephant rides. Mom and Dad got one elephant, and Summer and I got another. Contrary to popular (maybe?) belief, elephants are not the most comfortable things to ride on. Anyway, we wound our way around trees, across a river, through a village, and up a hill to where we got off for the next part of the package. It was an ox cart ride back down the road to where we began. Cool! Now I sort of know what the early americans felt like who rode in covered wagons across the the country. Those wagon wheels do not come with any kind of shocks. From there, we got to take a break and eat a buffet lunch. It wasn't bad for a buffet, and we could eat as much of it as we wanted. Then, it was on to the elephant show. We didn't think it was as great a show as the Maesa Elephant Camp (which Mom, Dad, and Matt went to the next week), but it was still entertaining. To end it all, we got to take a bamboo raft down the river a couple of kilometers. It was a pretty slow moving river, but they gave us hats, and it was so relaxing! Summer and I each got to steer the raft during a section of the river. They just use long bamboo poles. It was great. Well, the river pilot brought us back to the camp in his truck at the end of the ride. The whole experience was just fantastic.

Later that week, Summer and I hosted prayer meeting at our house. Each Wednesday, we have it at a different faculty member's house/apartment/hut. This week, it was our turn. It's pretty simple... we just prepare a place for people to come and get some food for after the meeting. Some people go all out and make an entire meal, and others just get cookies and oranges. We decided we'd give them a western food experience, so we toasted up some bread, cut up some cucumbers and tomatoes, set out some mayonnaise, and for those who wanted it instead, we set out some peanut butter. It was so funny! We set everything out, and they said, "You have to show us how to do it." So we showed them how to make sandwiches. It was pretty spectacular. Some of them even went as far as to put peanut butter on their toast and then add cucumbers and tomatoes. I don't think anyone ever did both PB and mayonnaise... I don't think they would have liked it. For many, it was their first time eating sandwiches.

Friday of that week, we took a trip up Doi Suthep ("Doi" is Thai for Mountain). They have a wat up there that is really well known and loved by both Thais and farang. This was another first experience for Summer and I. We had a lot of them while the family was here. Anyway, the road up the mountain is very steep and curvy. When you get to the parking place, there is a cable car that you can take up the mountain to the wat, or you can climb the 306 stairs lined by snake-like dragons on either side all the way up. It was a pretty fantastic thigh (on the way up) and calf (on the way down) workout. Up at the top, you can see a fantastic view of Chiang Mai down in the valley. It's no wonder people like to visit there so much. Right by the parking lot, there is a Jade and Orchid factory. I didn't see a whole lot of orchids-- maybe they just sell them outside. But the jade tour was really neat. They show you where the jade comes from, the different types and colors, and how it is polished and cut for different statues and jewelry. They had a fantastic showroom too. After the "mountain top" experience, we settled back down into the valley and checked into a hotel. Matt was coming!

This ends part I of a two-part blog. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for "the rest of the story," where we will guide you through the Lee family adventures of week two. Matt joins the mix. Love to all, and thanks for your patience as we entertained our family.

~M

To Whet Your Appetite (I have no idea if I spelled that right)

Anyway, as you may have noticed, Summer and I have been a bit delinquent in our writing. That is because Mom and Dad Lee and Matt are here. We have been spending every waking moment entertaining and introducing to the best of our abilities. This is just a little note to let you know we still do exist, and we are still having fun. In our next post(s), we will tell you of adventures... like diving head first off a 50 meter metal thing, sitting atop a large beast that could easily crush someone, piloting a bamboo raft down a jungle river, staring down the throat of a large toothed hungry animal, watching people eat sandwiches for the first time in their lives, and climbing over 300 stairs atop a mountain, just to see a gold statue and lots of people wanting to be blessed by a bald-headed orange robe-wearing man or two. Nothing but craziness here in Thailand. Who wants to visit next? Love to all our faithful as well as first time readers.

~M

Home!

This is our bedroom. It is our haven. We spend a lot of time in here reading and such.















Here is another little friend of ours. Sadly, neither one of us can remeber her name, but it doesn't much matter because she can't understand us anyway!

This is our humble home!
Our garage is off to the left.
(Michael is there trying to start our motor bike)














The kitchen! Our refrigerator and microwave are to the right.











This is our living/dining room. The wall on the left is the kitchen wall. There is a doorway that leads into it in the left corner.

Sunday's Adventures

Okay, some have been asking about last Sunday's adventure. We have already posted some of the pictures from it, but let me tell you the rest of the story.

We (and by "we" I mean "I"-- Summer wanted to go, but not quite as badly as I did) had been waiting for about a month to go to the Ratchapruek Gardens. They were created a couple years ago in honor of the king's 60th year of reign. This should tell you how much they love their king. These aren't some dinky little gardens either. The whole complex is huge! It takes several hours to see everything. Anyway, we planned to go every Sabbath for the last 4 or 5 Sabbaths before we actually went, but there was always something that came up that kept us from going.

But Finally, Sunday, we left the school with David and Annabelle heading towards Chiang Mai. We decided we'd take the scenic route (yes, mom... it's true) and went the back way. The drive was beautiful, albeit a bit narrower and more curvy. The houses along the back way seemed to be a bit more upscale. We even saw a neighborhood! That's not typical here. We have villages and stuff, but neighborhoods like you see in the states-- not too common. The sights were so exciting that even David, who was driving was looking over his shoulder. Meanwhile, the car started drifting into oncoming traffic. Annabelle screamed, "Look out!" and David swerved back into the left lane. Whew! That got all our hearts racing. I was impressed that Annabelle didn't say anything more to David about that. Many people berate their spouses when things like that happen. I felt sorry for him... I think he was embarrassed. He's normally a good driver. So that was the start to our adventure.

We eventually got to Ratchapruek gardens, where the Bells dropped us off. This time of the year (I think) is the low season, so the entrance to the gardens is free. Summer and I made our way in and paid 20 Baht each for the little tram ride around the gardens. You could get on and off these trams whenever you wanted and walk around to explore-- the next tram comes every 15 minutes or so. The gardens are big enough, that almost everyone who goes rides the trams. There is a big section of the park where representatives from different countries all around the world built small gardens themed for their respective countries in honor of the king. A lot of this section was closed off, I'm assuming for upkeep and repairs and such things. There were all kinds of other places to explore, though, and different things to see. The Thai creativity was definitely not lacking when they built these gardens!

It was kind of a hot day that day, and we were tired after we were done with the gardens. When David and Annabelle came to pick us up, though, they were ready to go to the Sunday Walking Street to get massages. Summer and I didn't object. :-) I was actually energized by going there. I didn't think I would be. I got a great foot and calf massage from a lady named Yai. I was kinda scared to try to strike up conversation with her because I was thinking... I don't want to try to talk to someone who doesn't understand me... but I felt like God was calling me to make a connection with her, so I started asking her if she spoke any English. She told me a little bit, and I told her I knew a little bit of Thai. Through that we actually conversed (although it was a bit labored at times), and she told me she wanted me to come back. I'm looking forward to the next time I get to chat with her.

After we got our massages, Summer and I decided that we wanted Italian food. So, we went to a restaurant on the Walking Street and got a nice little table outside. It was fantastic! The guy who owns the restaurant (we're assuming anyway) came and took our order, and we were pleased to find out that he is full-blooded Italian. Cool! Summer got to order her "Pizza Margherita" in Italian, which gave her fun memories of her stint in Italy this last summer. And I had a veggie pizza. Oh, it was so good to taste cheese again! You can't get it here very cheap, so we never buy it. It was at this time, though, that some hill tribes' women came up to our table and started accosting us... trying to hawk their wares. Summer and I figured after a few "No thank yous" and "Mai ows" ("I don't want any"), the two women would give up and leave. But no! They were persistent! They were going to sucker these farangs into buying something if it was the last thing they did. We sat there talking to them and trying to get them to leave for close to 15 minutes (mind you, we were sitting down at our table at the restaurant and had already ordered). Summer finally broke down and bought a bracelet from one of them for 100 Baht just to get her to leave. My stubbornness kicked in, and I was not going to let this woman win. So I didn't! She left muttering to herself... no doubt something to the effect of, "stupid, cheap foreigner." Summer and I just sighed a big sigh of relief. That was the worst we have experienced here! We enjoyed our meal though, feeling only slightly defeated.

So, those were the adventures of last Sunday-- The time we almost died... and The accosting of a farang. Some of you have been asking for pictures of our house, so I am going to post some here for your viewing pleasure, provided everything works okay. Love to you from us.

~M

Okay, so the blog is not cooperating with us trying to post pictures. We'll try again tomorrow. Love!

Ratchapruek Garden

The "Sawadee" Rock Garden.
One of many inside the King's Garden.
















This garden was made by a representative from Kenya. People came from countries all over the world to create gardens that represented their homelands.
















This is the Ratchapruek Tree. The steps going to the top of it are amazing. From the top you can see the whole garden... well most of it. It is rather big. :-)

Ratchapruek

Michael and I at the kings Gardens!















The string is not properly WHAT?

New Things

This is sauce! She is rather mopey and sad in this picture, but she just had a bath and shots so we can't blame her.












This is another Kid of ours! His name is Jonah and (pronouned "yo-nah") he is one of my favorites!















This is outside of the Ratchapruek Gardens. Made in honor of the kings' 60th year of reign. It is wicked big but poorly made. It wouldn't keep out water or sun.

Oh, the Things We've Done...

In thinking about what to entitle this blog (Michael here, by the way), many different ideas have come to mind. Some of which include "We Have an Announcement to Make," "Of Times We Almost Died," "We Were in the US for About an Hour," and "The Accosting of a Farang." Any of these could have done the trick, or at least raised an eyebrow or two. No doubt, you have already read (or will read shortly) about the "announcement." I don't think I need to comment on that at this point. So, I will raise my glass with you to experiences gone of which you have not heard yet. Drinking glasses ready? Non-alcoholic (preferably Martinelli's white grape), of course... Here are the days of our lives from the last week and a half.

Last week, we had graduation. Monday for the Matayom and Tuesday for the Pratom. It was really interesting finding out that they have graduation a week and a half before school really gets out. They had a whole week of classes and 3 days of tests to finish after the whole graduation celebration. The ceremony was nice, though. The church all decorated and students all robed up, everything went off without a hitch. The Thai people are so tradition oriented. When the students went up to receive their diplomas and other awards, they barely cracked a smile. They just bowed or curtsied in a mood reminiscent of a Catholic Mass or Episcopalian Communion-- very respectful. There was no whooping or hollering until after everyone marched out.

On Tuesday, Summer and I were actually in the US for about an Hour. I suppose "in the US" isn't totally accurate. Maybe "on US soil" would be more truthful. We visited the US Consolate in an attempt to get our marriage license authenticated and to register with them in case unrest decides to rear its ugly head in this part of the world. Well, we didn't achieve either of these goals, but we took some paperwork home to fill out, and we are planning on going back on Thursday when the officer who authenticates official documents will be there. It was a strange feeling of "being home" while we were there, though. I can't really say why.

Last week, we had three days in a row where storms rolled in and we got to experience a preview of the rainy season. Let me tell you, I am excited! :-) I was sitting out in our hammock on our front porch reading a book when the wind started agitating the trees, thunder roared in the distance, and the distinct odor of ozone tickled my nostrils. It was really quite exhilarating. The next thing I knew lightning was striking right over my head and buckets of water were pouring out of the sky. After a couple minutes, hail started falling. This hail was not the white balls we are used to back home. It was a white ball surrounded by an inch of clear ice on a somewhat flat plane, making the whole thing look similar to a traditional alien spacecraft. It was pretty cool. The next morning at about 4 am, another storm rolled in and I could have sworn the roof of the house was going to be ripped off.

I think I will save Sunday's adventures for another day. I promise to make it soon. I could write twice as much as I've written here on that day, I think. Pictures will accompany soon too. We are now finished with the second day of final tests. After tomorrow, we will be done with our teaching duties for the hot season holiday. School starts up again on May 20. "What will you do with all that time?" you might ask. Well, we are going to spend time with family, do some work around campus to improve (or maintain) the campus, travel, help out with a mission institute (childcare), and avoid frying or dehydrating in the heat. More adventures from Thailand to come! Thanks for being patient with our delay in writing. Love!

~M

Adoption

Ladies and Gentlemen. Michael and I would like to make an announcement. We have decided to adopt!

It's true. Now before you start claiming that we are young, wreckless and have no money or knowledge about such things, hear us out.

When we first arrived a local mother was struggling with her children. She had several who were all about the same age and everyone on campus adored them. However one day it came out that in the night 3 of them had died off due to malnutrition.

Michael and I were heart broken because we had played with some of the kids and had become quite fond of them ourselves. Thankfully one of them survived but the mother was being neglectful even with that one ! So on Thursday after much thought and prayer we decided to take her in. Anabelle Bell helped us in so many ways to clean her up, because she had been literally living outside and her hair was crawling with fleas. On Friday we took her to the doctor to get her immunized and began treating some of the skin issues she had.

Her name is Sauce and she is absolutely adorable! She, of all things, has blonde hair, brown eyes and the sweetest disposition you can imagine. We don't know exactly how old she is but we are guessing about a year give or take a few months.

She is sleeping thru the night and gets up with me in the morning to eat breakfast. It's difficult managing the teaching thing with her but we are getting the hang of it. She normally sleeps while we are gone and wakes up for attention, food and games when we get home.

Sadly, I think this will be more of a foster child experience. Adoption rules overseas can be rather hairy and even though we know we can give her a better life, I don't know if it will be worth the hastle to bring her back home. Chances are that we will leave her here in hopes that her mother will snap out of her funk and take care of her. But we just want to make sure she is healthy for the first year of her life.

Well her little tail is wagging at me so I better sign off. Puppies are so hard to ignore.