When you got to go, you got to go...or not?

Greetings family and friends!

I hope that everyone is doing well! Today was a good day here at Wildflower, especially with the kids who never cease to make me laugh. First, I have decided to come up with code names for the children I watch (suggestion from a devoted follower of my blog). They will be:

Poe-Poe: the three-year-old boy who wants ever so badly to be a policeman
Sue: the five-year-old girl (this is my go-to name for all girls, sorry it is not in Thai)
Mai Mow: the two-year-old boy (this is his favorite word to say, meaning "No!"
Baby: the 14 month old

Okay, funny story today. I have been trying (in vain!) to learn Thai and communicate with the children. Well, I asked Queun today how to say "bathroom". I needed to go at the moment, and one of the kids asked me where I was going and I wanted to respond in Thai. A bit of background on Mai Mow. When he has to go to the bathroom, there is no coming up to me and asking to go, or even pointing to, the bathroom. He simply drops his pants in the middle of the play area and says (quite forcefully): "pee pee!" And Queun then scrambles to take his hand and guide him to the desired destination. So, I asked Queun how to say "bathroom" and she tells me (it's "Com Nam" if I remember correctly). I repeat it several times. All of a sudden, I hear a small voice repeating it too. I look over as he repeats it again and proceeds to pull off his shorts and nodding his head as if to say: "Bathroom. Yes, I can go now."  Haha, we both laughed really hard at this.

Also amusing is the fact that when one child here is sick, they all think they are sick. Well, Poe-Poe was running a little fever. So, throughout the day each one of them came up to me (several times) and said "Becca, I hot!" Not only do I have to feel their foreheads, but also their back and stomach and make quite a fuss over them before they are satisfied that I sympathize with them adequately.

This is all I have for now!

Happiness=coconut

Hey!

I just wanted everyone to know that I am very happy at this moment. Why, you ask? I am sitting by my computer eating what is called a "burned coconut." It is probably the best thing I have ever eaten. It is exactly what its name is, haha, a coconut that has been burned. I got one of the Vietnamese women to chop off the top for me, I drank the inside (the BEST juice ever!) and now I am eating the inside "meat" that is very easy to spoon out since it has been burned. Not only is this meal delicious, but it is a great source of calcium and magnesium (a bonus for me since I am the prime candidate for osteoporosis, as my mother has told me on several occasions). I will be buying more of these when I go to the fruit market in Chiang Mai this weekend. Also very good that I have discovered while here is something called a Rose Apple--a cross between a plum and an apple (and very good with peanut butter).

haha, funny story about the coconut. I have been wanting to eat it since I bought it this past Sunday, but I have yet to corner one of the Vietnamese women to cut it for me. Well, today I decided to get God in on it. I was like, "Lord, I want to eat this coconut. Today. So, would you be so kind as to make this happen? I'm even willing to share the second one that I bought with the person that cuts it!" A rare thing happened, the Vietnamese women ate supper with us and I saw one of them in the kitchen. "Yay!" I thought, "I can finally eat my coconut!!" I ran back to my room (literally) and grabbed it. She was very sweet and not only did it, but walked me through the process so that I could do it myself for the next one. I remembered my promise to God about sharing and I offered her my second one. She declined (I was secretly excited about this). I offered it to the woman that I work with, she also declined (more relief). Well, the three year old boy in daycare just jumped on my lap and we started talking. He sees me eating my coconut meat and I could tell that he wanted a bite. I had a little less than half left and I tore him off a piece to see if he liked it. Understatement. He loved it. So I offered him the rest and he was so excited--we had a great little bonding moment. After he was done and hoped off my lap, I realized that I was able to share my coconut after all, and I felt so blessed to have had the opportunity. God works in mysterious ways, doesn't he?

Okay, cute story about the kids today! The youngest girl, age 14 months, is the CUTEST Thai baby I have ever seen (no, I haven't seen very many, but I'm still pretty sure she'd be the cutest). I play "peekaboo" with her often and she smiles every time. But today, before I could think to do it, she toddled up to me and put both hands over her eyes and smiled as she peeked through the (big) cracks in her fingers. The feeling that came over me as she did this is impossible to describe--it was priceless, confirming for me the reason that I came here, to be here for these children and give them my time and my love. I truly felt that for the first time today--with all of the children in different ways. Today, overall was a blessing.

It didn't seem to start out as such, however! I was feeling very lonely and down, missing my family so much that I felt that same pain of my first night here. The tears threatened to fall all morning and finally fell when...(fun fact about being TALL in a land of SHORT people, everything is just a tad too low for me) I hit my head on the nursery ceiling. I couldn't hold the tears in any more--I was homesick, tired, and in PAIN!! If a plane would have been near, I would have jumped on it that instant to head home. I tried to pray through it, but nothing seemed to help and God seemed so far away. The young woman I was to teach today couldn't make her class, so I had a rare afternoon off. I fixed myself some tea, closed myself in my room, laid on my bed, and proceeded to cry pathetically...

I have a book that Mrs. Robin lent me that I was enjoying, but having trouble connecting with thus far. It is a book that helps you discover who you really are behind all of the walls and false selves that we tend to protect ourselves with. I realized that through this whole process of trying to discover who Rebecca is, I wasn't asking God to journey with me through it. So I asked for his help, put the book away, and picked up a novel I brought for a bit of light reading. After reading for about an hour (and this is VERY rare for me) I was at peace and felt okay with putting the book down. I picked up Mrs. Robin's book again, not really reading it, but just thinking about myself, my past, and what has caused me to build these walls. Gradually, I began to notice things about myself that I had never really paid attention to before. I picked up my journal and suddenly everything started to make more sense--I had a little more incite into myself than I had five minutes ago. And my whole outlook changed--it was amazing the peace that came over me. I was now able to be fully present with the children and enjoy their presence in return. Another answered prayer!

I am learning to trust in God here in Thailand. Even though it is not an easy process, I feel so blessed and thankful for this opportunity. Love all of y'all!! Keep me posted on what's going on in your lives!!
.

Thailand Customs!

Greetings!!




It is evening and I am sitting in the main office (well, it's the only office) here at Wildflower. This is not a very common thing, as the office shuts down before 7 o'clock, but Elizabeth and Michael's (they are the founders of Wildflower and live on the property) children have homework to do on the internet, so it's still open--yay, lucky for me! Today, like every day, has been very full. Here are a few pictures of Wildflower property so that you can see where I live:

 My house that I share with Andre and Phu--the stairs on the right are the ones that lead to my room! The above rice field is to the right of my house and my window looks out to it :)The view from the second story balcony overlooking the ponds and the garden

Funny story about the children. They love to play in the sand and are always preparing some kind of meal with the various sand toys. Today was no different. I walked up to the 5 year old girl and the 3 year old boy (who wants to be a policeman) and asked them what they were making for me. Well, the little boy, in full policeman regalia (aka, with a stick in his pants--his "gun"--and a funny hat on his head made from what looks like an old plastic watering can) looks up at me as says: "Pizza!" This answer, while it may seem strange to you, is very common for these children. For some reason, this is their favorite and ONLY answer to the meal question. I'm not sure who told them what pizza is (I know for a fact that he hasn't eaten it before because his favorite ingredient to add to his pizza creation is "strawberry!"), but whoever did had no idea, I'm sure, how deeply it would leave its mark on these children!!

Okay, one more funny story before I brief you on Thai customs. The three year old boy (I'm sorry I don't put their names, but I am not allowed to put their names on the internet--I'll be sure and tell y'all when I get back) came up to me while I was swinging, promptly pointed his "gun" at me, and said, quite forcefully, "BOOM!"

"Ah, why did you shoot me?!" I replied to this assault. And with that same serious face that only he seems to have, he said: "I policeman." Now, he said this in a way that was like, "duh, I'm a policeman and that's what we do." I am officially scared for the Thai people once this little boy becomes a policeman... (not to mention that he also "slit" my throat several times that day with the exact same reply)

Now, Thai customs!! To understand the Thai people, it is very important to understand how they view the body. The head is the most sacred part of their body, and likewise, the feet are considered dirty and very common. So, before entering someone's house, you take off your shoes. It is less about cleanliness (what I thought before coming here) than it is about it being VERY rude to have shoes on indoors. That being said, you do not cross your legs because doing so could cause your foot to "point" at someone, which is considered very rude also. You do not step over people either. Basically, keep your feet on the ground at all times. So, feet: bad, head: good. NEVER touch another person's head. Period.

The Thai people are extremely polite. You never want anyone to lose face, or embarrass themselves in any way--hence the smiling. Thailand is known as the land of smiles. You smile at someone to let them know that everything is okay--"Mai pen rie" (not spelled correctly, of course) a very common statement here that means "no problem"--you use it to say thank you, but also as a way to shrug something off, make it no big deal--let's all just move on and pretend nothing happened.

Well, that's all for now!! I hope everyone is doing well and I miss y'all so much!

What I'm up to :)

Greetings family and friends!!

As I sit here with a cat on my lap in the office of Wildflower home, I try to think of what I should write down for everyone to read. I guess I'll start with what fills my days. I wake up every morning at around 6 o'clock (while I don't set my alarm to wake up this early, that does not stop my eyes from opening...I can't seem to help it), giving me about two hours to get ready for the day and eat breakfast. I usually eat breakfast in my room, eating what I have bought from the store--what the women here eat for breakfast every morning is rice (plain rice that is...and then there is rice for lunch...and then there is rice for dinner...let's just say that by the time I get home I probably won't want rice for quite some time..). Here are a few pics of my room:

It's beginning to feel a bit more like home (hehe, excuse the mess!). Then at 8 it is off to the daycare where I help Nguen watch over the four children (and then later two babies they are trying to transition to daycare come over from the nursery for the rest of the day). We either play games or let them play outside in the sand. At 10 it is snack time! The smallest boy, who is also the hungriest, is always the first to line up. Before the children receive their "Ca nom" (that is how it is pronounced, I have no idea how it's spelled), which means snack or small sweet, they must have their hands in front of them in a prayer position, bow, and say "Cap pu cam" which means thank you. We take the children to lunch is at 11:30 at the Sala (pavillion) where everyone at Wildflower gathers to eat. Haha, it is kind of like a feeding frenzy, in the best possible sense, and if you don't get to the food soon, there may not be any left... Then it is back to the daycare where Nguen baths the children, I dry them off, and they get ready for their two hour nap. We each take a child to the mat, sit next to them and rub their back until they are settled down to sleep, if not actually asleep by this point--they play very hard all morning, so they are READY for this nap (or at least most of them are--the oldest girl at Daycare sometimes thinks she does not need a nap).

Once the children are asleep, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Fridays I teach English to three women at a time for a two hour period (aka, while the children are asleep and Nguen can spare her Daycare helper). Then it is back to the daycare from 3-5. It's a long day, but the children are a joy to be around. I have just started teaching the women this week, and even then I have not been with them by myself yet. But, quick funny story about that! Yesterday, when Meredith and I were teaching, the wind blew one of the windows open and one of the girls tried to help Meredith close it. She was trying to talk in English and show how good she was getting along, so she said to Meredith, pointing to the window: "Shut up!" Well, she meant "shut it." We all started laughing really hard, and she felt so bad (the Thai people, as a rule, are extremely polite and would never tell anyone to shut up, least of all their teacher).

Well, that's all for now!! I miss all of y'all so much and I look forward to hearing from you!! Love y'all

Hello everyone!!

I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to post again! Since the internet connection does not reach my room, I only have certain times when I can get on, so it limits the amount of time I can blog to all y'all... Dinner is in ten minutes, so I have to be brief! Things have gotten so much better after the jet-lag has worn off a bit! I still miss everyone tremendously, but I can look past it and give myself to helping the women at Wildflower.

So far I have only been working in the nursery with four children ages 2-5. They have EXTREMELY different personalities, but they are a joy to work with. One of the boys, age three, wants to be a policeman very badly. The first morning that I came to the nursery to watch them, it was the cutest thing, he looked up at me (I should say WAY up, he barely reaches past my knee), saluted, and said "I am policeman" with the most serious expression I have ever seen on a three-year-old's face. Throughout the morning he would randomly repeat this process, to which I would salute in return and reply "Yes sir!"

I was going to post some pictures, but I've run out of time--I'll have more time soon!

Love everyone!!

My first night and morning

Greetings friends and family!

I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to start my blog actually in Thailand…But to be fair, it has not been for lack of trying! The amount of time I have access to WiFi is quite limited, as the network does not make it to my room towards the back of Wildflower property. So I am currently typing this as a Microsoft document that I will copy and paste to the blog early tomorrow morning J

Well, I am here safe and sound! I want to share with yall my journal-esque thoughts that I have been jotting down to share with everyone—they begin on the morning that I woke up in a world completely unfamiliar to me, with no one but God to comfort me…

It is early morning and a rooster crows loudly outside my window. To arrive in Thailand at night is not something I would recommend—it was pitch black with unfamiliar, scary noises. I was lonely, tired, and so homesick that I thought I would be sick. As I lay in bed, my stomach in a knot, I felt like I had made the biggest mistake of my life. The hardest thing for me to imagine at this point was staying here for the next six weeks. I could not stop the tears, I couldn’t concentrate on my rosary, all I could do was repeat over and over again a desperate prayer “help me Lord, help me Lord, help me Lord”. I forced it to take over every thought—because to think of home and family meant I’d be racing to the toilet to throw up the little bit I was able to stomach before landing in Chaing Mai—as I tossed and turned on the unfamiliar mattress. There was no peace for me—I’d feel it for a precious moment, but then gnawing homesickness would take over. I’ve never experienced such a feeling before—it was the most intense ache in a place where I could not sooth the pain away. I willed myself to stop crying, but thoughts of my family would surface and how worried they’d be since I hadn’t  been able to contact them. It ate at me from the inside out. The Benadryl had yet to kick in—there were constant nighttime noises—it sounded as if someone put a sound machine outside my window with the “rainforest” mode on full volume. Everything was unfamiliar and I was utterly alone with my God that I couldn’t feel as the darkness and noise pressed down on me. Why hasn’t the medicine kicked in yet?!

Finally, thankfully, the medicine knocked me out at about 1 a.m…for about 2 and a half hours (curse you Benadryl!)…Then all the anxiety and homesickness came back and I did not sleep again that night.

Meredith was to come and check on me at 7, breakfast time at Wildflower. So when 6:30 rolled around I decided to get out of the bed, since it wasn’t doing its job anyway.

As I moved around and began to unpack, peace began to seep into me. It is strange how different the world seems when you do something as simple as putting the items in your suitcase into what will be there home for the next month and a half. It became my room, no longer the strange, unwelcoming space of the nighttime. The sky gradually lightened and as I looked out my window I saw such a beautiful sight. A ricefield extended half a mile to a row of trees with houses interspersed. I’d only seen such a view in movies, and now it was right outside my window...

Hello friends and family!

Yes, this post is entitled "Rebecca in Thailand," and no, I am not in Thailand yet (that would be February 15). However, I wanted to have a little test run to make sure this is working and to also keep everyone up-to-date on how packing is going!! Yay, excited right?! I am new to the world of blogging and it would be quite a let-down to get to Thailand, with everyone SUPER excited to read my first epic post and then...it doesn't work (did you feel the excitement building there and then-WHAM! it went flat...yeah, that's what I don't want to happen, hence the test run).

So, packing...I'm going to post for everyone a little test-run picture to show just how GREAT packing is going:

yea...but for those of you that know me, this should not come as a surprise--simply the fact that I am thinking of packing already should give me at least 10 bonus points. This picture really just says it all, so I'm done here. Talk to everyone soon!