Culture Shock

What's Culture shock?   Surely there is nothing about our beautiful American culture that is shocking.  Or is there?   

I can only imagine what it would be like for someone to set foot on American soil for the very first time.  Take someone from a hot tropical climate and have them enter JFK airport in Mid December.   
Upon entering the airport there would be the shock of the hugeness of it all.   They have just left a country with a small 3 terminal airport where they walked across the air field to climb a shaky little stairway into an the massive airplane that would take them across the ocean.  
Although they were the top English speaker in their school it's shocking for them to realize that there are many different versions of English and not everyone who speaks English actually sound the same.  If you can actually get a native English speaker to speak slowly enough there's still a good chance that the accent they speak with is different than the one learned in school.  The hugeness of the airport and the mobs of people whom they can't understand is SHOCKING.  Loneliness is overwhelming and they're thinking...if only I could turn around run back into that big machine that just dropped me in this foreign place and go back to the familiar...But the crowds keep pushing them forward. 
Then after waiting in long lines and finally finally getting all the papers stamped and the freedom to exit those airport doors they are hit with a huge blast of freezing air.  The short sleeves and flip flops just aren't working any more.  A whole new life is laying before them. 

One person may look at this and say..."My life is over."  
Another person may say..."What an adventure.  My life is just beginning." 

And Angela when experiencing reverse culture shock might say.   "My life is over" followed by "Life is an amazing adventure, wow, my life is just beginning".   
 
      

Good Intentions...

...look how far they've gotten me. 

I have such good intentions.  I often think now I should write about that, or this, or that other thing.  I really do intend to...later when it's more convenient.  

I have good stories to tell.
Good books to debate.
Good complaints (is that an oxymoron) to throw out there.  (while I'm on the complaint idea, may I mention that Americans are some of the best complainers I have met in my travels.  I used to be the best and then I returned to the states and realized I have competition.)

So many good ideas.  (I'm a bit ADD when it comes to ideas) They are indeed all good ideas but we all know that not all good ideas actually work.

So many things to write about so why not start tomorrow!

Resolution 2012

So do I have New Years Resolutions?   Hmmm, what did I resolve to do in 2012?  
I do know the year ended up being a whole lot different than I would've planned for it to be. It's been a busy year, a year of growth, some pain, some joy, some disappointments, some changed plans and a lots of emotions.   Wow, it's been quite a year!   
Thank you Jesus for the year 2012! 

As far as resolutions...not sure if I wrote much down in the line of resolves for last year but the the biggest goal I had that I carried around in my mind for the year was to READ MORE:   Pretty sure I succeeded.  I even kept track of the books I read.  So just for the record let it be know that in 2012 I successfully read:

1. God in a Brothel  - by Daniel Walker
2. I'll Cross the River - by C. Hope Flinchbaugh
3. Jonathan Goforth - by Geoff & Janet Benge
4. 97 - Random thoughts about life, love and relationships -by Justin Lookadoo
5. Preparing to be a Help Meet - by Debi and Michael Pearl
6. Amy Carmichael - by Geoff and Janet Benge
7. The Beauty Book - by Nancy Rue
8. Silent Tears - A journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage - by Kay Bratt
9. Castaway Kid - by R.B Mitchell
10. Choosing to SEE - by Mary Beth Chapman
11. A Time for Peace - by Barbara Cameron
12. Bo's Cafe - by John Lynch, Bill Thrall & Bruce McNicol
13. How to Get a Date Worth Keeping - by Dr. Henry Cloud
14. His Needs, Her Needs - by Willard F. Harley Jr.  
15. Changes that Heal - by Dr.  Henry Cloud
16. By Ones & By Twos - Jeanie Lockerbie Stephenson
17. Five Little Questions - by Dannah Gresh
18. All She Ever Wanted - By Lynn Austin
19. I Have to be Perfect - by Timothy L. Sanford
20. Only 13 (The True Story of Lon) - by Derek Kent, Julia Manzanares
21. Healing the Wounds of Trama (How the Church can Help) - by Margaret Hill, Harriet Hill, Richard Bagge and Pat Miersa
22. The Great Buddhist Stories - by Omnibus
23. My Prince Will Come - by Sheri Rose Shepherd
24. Grace Givers - by David Jeremiah
25. Spiritual Journeys of Success - Today's Christian Woman Magazine
26. TrueFaced - by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and John Lynch
27. How to Be a Best Friend Forever: Making and Keeping Lifetime Relationships - by John Townsend
28. Single:  The Jesus Model - by Heather Wraight
29. Inside Out - by Larry Crabb
30. Today is Your Best Day - by Roy Lessin
31. Take the Risk - by Dr. Ben Carson
32. Shattered Vows - by Debra Laaser

And I almost finished A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans before 2012 ended.  

So 32 books in 12 months.   That's not so bad.  

Why read more?
 Because reading can make you smarter!

What's my favorite book from the previous list?
I think I'll have to say TrueFaced.  Pretty sure it's a must read for 2013 as well.
Changes that Heal is a pretty close runner up. 

And now it's 2013.  
What's gonna be new in 2013?  
 

Reflections!

08/08/07 - was it not just yesterday?   (Or maybe it was 100 years ago.)
That's the day I made my very first stop at the Vientiane International Airport. 

I had no idea what I was doing.  
No idea what I was getting into.  
No idea how much my life would change over the next few years.   
I had no idea how much I would learn to love the people in this little country or how frustrated I'd get with cultural differences I couldn't understand.  
I had no idea how much I would change and grow.   

Looking back it can feel like 100 years ago.   Never mind the fact I was 28 when I arrived I'm pretty sure I was still a kid.  

Looking back it feels like yesterday.  Wasn't it just yesterday I took that first all night bus ride to the south?   Wasn't it just yesterday I arrived LATE to that first language class because I got lost? 
Wasn't it just yesterday - Oh wait - that was 100 years ago I taught that first class with much fear and trembling.   

Wow, so many thoughts, so many things, so many feelings, so many...

I'm at a loss for words!   

I'm  speechless!  

Random Things

 So the recent past (okay so maybe not as recent as yesterday) I've had several experience which I considered blog worthy.   As a matter of fact during the events I've thought, "Now this is going to be a good story".  Unfortunately, remote mountain trails, tiny airplanes, and mini-vans are not exactly the best locations for wi-fi.  

That's right, I don't even own a SMART phone with which to access the internet.   I am proud of my phone though.  (I had no intention of writing about my phone but now feel the urge to add a small blurb about it)   My phone is now over 5 years old.   Was the cheapest one I could find back in those days and it still works.   No, you can't really see the numbers (more importantly the letters), and yes, it is cracked and the buttons sometimes take extra effort to push but I don't want to hear anyone bad mouthing my phone.   My only regret is I never gave him a name!  Yes, I am quite proud of my special little phone and it's very sad to think I may have to give him up soon.   But I've heard it said, don't cling to your friends too tightly.  

Anyway, as I was saying - In the recent past I've actually felt like I may be living up to my blogs name.   Sunshine - I've seen it, I even saw a sunrise.   That is a fairly unusual thing for me, therefore picture worthy! 

Rain - I've felt it.   Traveling at dusk by dirt bike on fairly rough roads.   It sorta stings the face but hey, I was just the passenger so the driver got the worst of it.   I'm not complaining 'cause that was one of my best trips yet!  

Dust - This picture may not do justice to the dust but check it out.   There really was a pretty good supply of dust on my face.

And Potholes - Well, I actually don't know if potholes is actually the correct word for what was involved in this trip but I got a real close up look at a large rut in what might someday be a road.  
Possibly the reason I could no longer focus at the time of the picture taking (no idea where I was looking) was the fact that my toe was throbbing from the pain of the dust caked inside of it in places that dust and dirt was never intended to go.   (again I'm not complaining - I could've lost a toe)    So this is just a group of amazing people who went on an amazing trip where most of my friends have never been.  

(forgot to mention that most of the rugged roads we were on was by accident but I really think it was a pretty good accident.) Pretty sure I can now say I've been places you've never been!  

And now... friends are arriving at Cafe Nomad so I'll have to save the super small airplane and the mini van stories for later.  

Sometimes I wonder, of all the people in the world why am I so blessed to be able to see so many places in this great big world!  

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to the cutest, sweetest little guy ever! 

One year ago I had no idea how much your giggles and sweet smiles would change my life! 


so I tried, and tried and tried to post this yesterday and it just didn't happen.  I guess the point is I should actually attempt to post more often so I actually know how when I want to.  That could prevent me from going home annoyed.   
   

Tuk Tuk's, Guesthouse's and Shattered Glass

It's amazing what might await a person who simply wants to do a small get away to relax.   Upon arrival at my small destination town I dig the crumpled paper with my guesthouse name and approach a Tuk Tuk driver.   Ok I lied - I didn't approach a tuk tuk driver, I entered the excited mob who all wanted go give me a ride to my awaiting guest house.  
Since I had a good idea (but not a 100% idea) as to where my guesthouse might be located I sorta had in my head how much I would be willing to pay for this little ride.   The price in my head and the price given to me did not match.   I would maybe pay 30 baht but I'm not even considering 60 baht so I began walking.   About half way to my destination I meet more Tuk Tuk drivers - Guess what the price is still 60 baht.   And these guys even got a good laugh for our little conversation as I said, "If I knew exactly where the guesthouse was, I'd walk."  
Among their laughter they said the equivalent of "You don't know so you can't walk".  

Guess what?!

I kept walking!!  

Guess what else?  

I found the guesthouse very nicely on my own!

As luck would have it, upon arrival at my guesthouse I was ushered up 3 flights of narrow steps.  Have I mentioned yet that I have my small pull behind suitcase, and my computer backpack and it's 100degress outside so I'm hot and sweaty and pretty sure all signs of beauty have long disappeared. 
Yet what's 3 flights of narrow stairs after dealing with tuk tuk drivers and walking from the bus station.  I am starting to wonder when the relaxing will start.  

Enter - nice room, complete with a refrigerator larger than my own person fridge at my house and lovely TV Channels.   Complete the room with rather mismatched lace curtains and an equally ugly lace table cloth covering the coffee table.  
In this particular case I should have looked under the lace before sitting down.

But after 3 flights of stairs a person has to take a load off their feet, right?

Down I went - Then begins the shattering of glass.  
I really expected to hear knocking on the door very soon as the noise from that broken table could/should have been heard very far away.  

Since no one arrived to check on me I decided to wait until morning and try to explain to the staff why there was much glass spread around their once clean room.   But even in the morning by the attitude of the staff you could imagine that they are used to cleaning up glass tabletops.   After paying my 600 baht to get it replaced you almost have to wonder if the glass table tops are actually a money making scheme.

Hmmm, I'll have to keep that in mind when planning for my own guest house someday.  

The only other thing I managed to break that week was one of the blood red glasses that was kept on top of the LARGE refrigerator.   How was I suppose to see that it was partly on the door when I swung the door open. 

I wonder if these people ever want to see me again?  

I don't give the Tuk Tuk's business and I break things in the guesthouse.   What better way to relax?