Japanese Smileys

You Are "Dizzy and Giddy"

What Japanese Smiley Are You?

White Sox Win

Congratulations to the White Sox for winning the World Series. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the World Series games because we don't have cable, but I was able to see the end of today's game at one of the student dorms. Though I've been to numerous WS games, I can't really claim to be a Sox fan, but I'm glad for them just the same. Both my brothers are die-hard Sox fans, so I'm happiest for them.

Camp

This week-end (up through today) we have been at Hume Lake Camp. Hume Lake is actually the name of the California Camp that brings a camp to the kids of our community. The camp comes every two years and is a major event for the kids. Not only kids from CM participate in this camp. It also draws kids from other areas of Thailand as well as other countries. Eric had been planning to go as a counselor, but at the last minute, they asked to trade him for me as they had no nurse for the camp. So, it ended up that while I took care of a steady stream of wounds and sore throats (from constant yelling) Eric got to spend days of quality time with Gabe. Gabe seemed to enjoy the camp very much. Up in the mountains the weather was a bit cooler and the mosquitoes were fewer so he could play outside nearly all the time. They had playgrounds and a pool as well as lovely grounds. He also had plenty of playmates. In the picture above, Gabe was revelling in being splashed by the big kids. In addition to all these sources of happiness, we also had a most unusual bathroom. We were assigned to a Thai style house as it was closest to most of the injury-producing activities. We had only a bedroom inside, but there was a huge amount of porch area, which was really lovely. Also outside was our bathroom. You can see a picture below. It was really like using a bathroom in a garden. It was beautifully decorated with lots of foliage and even a swing. It was really cool some of the time, but it overlooked a field. Sometimes, you'd be going out to have a shower and you'd see a bunch of farmers out in the field where it was obvious they could see you. Gabe, who has no shame, didn't mind at all. He really loved the idea of a swing in the bathroom and spent at least an hour a day playing in the bathroom, if not more.

With Feeling...

I never realized before how much I rely on facial expression to understand the meaning of words. Today, I was buying a cup of corn at the Cup of Corn stand and the girl serving me seemed very nervous to be talking to a foreigner. She smiled and laughed nervously throughout our conversation, and though I caught most of her words, it was much more of a strain than usual to understand. I kept wondering why the words I was hearing didn't match her expression and doubting that I had heard her correctly.

On the same topic, that talking loudly and slowly thing actually works. I've noticed that when I'm with a group of Thais, they always enunciate and speak louder and slower when they want me to understand. When they do this, my understanding goes way up.

Gabe & Laura

This is what Gabe is doing right at this moment. His friend Laura loves him so much that she usually wants to put on a pretty dress for him. In this case, she settled for Gabe's swimming trunks.

Oven Mitts

We went bowling the other night and the girl dispensing the extremely clean bowling shoes was wearing oven mitts. I guess dispensing used shoes for a living is to a Thai what feeding pigs was to the prodigal son. I wonder if Thai people know they've hit bottom when they find themselves broke, far from home and handing out bowling shoes.

Blogthings

I discovered this site called blogthings. It has some pretty random things on it, among them a superhero namer. Here's my superhero profile.

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Micro Savage Your Superpower is Waking Through Walls Your Weakness is Airsickness Your Weapon is Your Stellar Sword Your Mode of Transportation is Submarine

What's" your Superhero Name?

My new vehicle-ha ha

Fall Colors

It seems a little silly, but during October I always feel the distance between us and and our friends and family in America most acutely. During the summer, I know that we are all wearing shorts, going swimming, sweating, eating ice cream and being bitten by mosquitoes. The shared experiences make me feel that we are closer together. During the fall, though, our experiences begin to diverge. While we continue to wear shorts, go swimming, sweat, eat ice cream and be bitten by mosquitoes, you in the US are wearing sweaters, going for long walks on cool evenings, turning on your heaters, making hot soups, and watching the leaves turn. When I think of you doing those things, the 8000 miles really seems like 8000 miles.

Having lived in a 4-season climate for 27 years, I feel the passage of time by the changing of the weather. Here, where the temperature changes little from month to month, I sometimes forget that time is passing at all. Sometimes it seems that we are just away for the summer and we'll see you all again soon. Then, by hearing of your fall activities, I suddenly realize that time is passing after all and your lives and our lives go on from season to season. I remember that I haven't seen you in over a year and much has happened and changed in your lives without us being there to share it.

So, as I look out on another sunny tropical day, I miss you all and wish I could be with you.

At Gabe's new playgroup