Land of a Thousand Smiles

Being in Thailand just for four days was like a breath of much needed fresh air.

The people we came across in Bangkok were friendly, generous, and beautiful. We loved it so much at our hotel that we pretty much cancelled all our other plans to just bum around the area our hotel was in. Why spend money and travel around when you are content and enjoying yourself right where you are?

Our budget was tight. Very tight. Being there as a tourist made me again long for home. If only Romel and I were living and working in the U.S. then we'd have much more money to spend in Thailand. As if money would have made us happier. We had fun in spite of money issues. We were just happy that it all came together quite wonderfully! We booked a hotel for three nights the same price it usually cost one night at that hotel. Going to Thailand in the off-season is the best way to go. We pretty much walked everywhere and though it was tiring, it was fun to see more of the city and people that way. With a 7 Eleven on every corner we were never far from a respite from the hot, humid air. I thought it was monsoon there, but it barely sprinkled rain a few times.

We really had a great time. We were exhausted every night when we went to bed and were always filling our stomachs with delicious street foods and pad thai noodles. We even brought pad thai back home with us. I was seriously happy to eat shrimp. I ate shrimp everywhere I could! You might think that's funny, but shrimp is hard to come by in India and it's small and it's expensive. I love shrimp. In Thailand seafood is pretty much everywhere. Squid, shrimp, mussels, fish, crab, lobsters, it was like we were eating under the sea itself. But we were more interested in the fact that McDonalds actually had beef. I finally was able to eat a cheeseburger and their fries were way better than Indian McDonalds. They even had sizes similar to US standards! I was in heaven on earth.

Did I mention there was a Starbucks?

In our line of work we rarely, rarely, rarely get to buy fun things. You know, things we want. We managed to purchase a few fun "want" items such as tank tops, pants, some amazing leather bags, and some instant noodles for Romel. He loves instant noodles. I personally am not a fan, but that's what we got pad thai noodles for.

All this to say, we really had a good time. It was a genuine vacation and I have not had one of those for many years. Even our honeymoon does not count as a vacation. This was the real deal. We were there to relax, do whatever we wanted, and enjoy each other's company in a new and exciting place! We are both very thankful to have been able to go.

This is our we-just-made-it-past-immigration-and-everything-went-better-than-expected face.

Khao San Road. Ten minute walk from our hotel and where we spent the majority of our time.

Some cool elephant statues.

Outside the Grand Palace.

Yeah, we're married.

Tuk tuk. We only rode in one of these one time. It was so fast! India needs to get on this.

Wat Pho Temple entrance.

Hello Buddhas.

And more Buddhas.

Another Buddha.

I was wearing inappropriately short shorts and so was forced to wear the modesty skirt inside the temple. I liked it a lot actually.

Hunk.

Just a monk with an umbrella.

The famous reclining Buddha! I like his toes.

Street food! We ate anything and everything off of carts on the street. It's funny how people always advice tourists to never eat street food, but it's literally the best and most authentic food there is.

Romel in Chinatown. Obviously posed.

In the Beginning

Sometimes it is good to remember your beginnings. It is fun to look back in time and remember the emotions, the passion, the excitement knowing you have just made a huge change in your life. I wrote this short (very short) story a few years ago about the beginning of my two-year staff commitment here. (Actually it is somewhat of a "first chapter" to a book I have been wanting to write about my crazy Indian life. But that's another passion for another day). Anyway, we all know my two-year commitment here turned into three years. Now my commitment to this Biblical Studies course is coming to a close and for that I am again full of emotions, excitement, and yes, even passion. Ending something is always emotional; I am excited for what the future holds and for soon coming back to the U.S. with my beloved husband; I am full of a newfound passion to study the Bible at my own pace and in my own home for no other purpose but to study the Bible. No more stressing out about teachings, staff meetings or small groups. 

Sometimes it is good to remember your beginnings.

        The precise moment my foot hit the ground outside just past the glass doors, I felt the heat.  It was like someone immediately threw a bucket of hot pudding at my face and it quickly dripped down, covering my whole body in one moment.  Inevitably, my glasses became instantly fogged and I could not see a thing.  I worried I wouldn’t be able to see him, so I took my specs off, but immediately realized the reason I wore them in the first place.  Glasses on or off, I could not see a thing.  There were literally hundreds of Indians lined up in front of me shouting and calling out names.  I thought that I would never find the one Indian man I was looking for.  Before those thoughts could fully complete themselves, and after I had only taken a handful of steps out of the Mumbai airport, I heard that very familiar voice call my name.  A wonderful voice that I sometimes think was made only for the purpose of saying my name.  I heard the voice for the first time in months, yet recognized it the moment I heard it.  He was a little behind me, and as I turned around I saw him and an electric current of pure joy ran through my body, beginning its journey from my heart.

        He was even more handsome than I remembered, standing there in the sticky heat wearing all black with a brown scarf.  His favorite fashion faux-pax is wearing black with brown.  I haven’t had the heart to tell him how much of a fashion criminal he was sometimes.  Occasionally, he will even wear socks with sandals, but that is a different story set aside for a different time.  His hair was much shorter than I had ever seen it, and I loved it that way!  He is about one centimeter shorter than me, but it bothers neither of us and we rarely notice it.  The good thing about dating someone who is approximately the same size as you is that his clothes fit you perfectly. Even our feet are the same size.  Although, you cannot really say we ever dated.  They don’t date in India.  They basically go from strangers to husband and wife.  One thing in this life I will never fully understand is arranged marriages.

        Back to the story: as soon as he called my name and our eyes met, we ran to each other (I did most of the running).  We embraced in a quick yet genuine and much needed hug.  At that exact moment, all the feelings I had ignored for the past five months came flooding back into my head and my heart.  I did not think it would be this good to see him again.  I had somehow convinced myself that I did not love him anymore when I was at home, and I had been quite relieved to hear that I would only have to see him for one day after I arrived back in India before he would go down to Mysore for nine months.

        The past year-and-a-half played through my mind at lightening speed, and I suddenly caught myself standing next to a man I was very much in love with.  I kept telling him how good it was to see him again after so long.  It took everything in me to hold me back from kissing him all over his face.  Fortunately, we were in a country where PDA is not at all acceptable.  Growing up in America with five brothers and a reluctance to touch anyone, I had developed a sort of illness which would come only when seeing couples in public holding hands, kissing, or canoodling.  I hate PDA with a mighty passion, and had loved living in India because it is such taboo for anyone to publicly display their affection for all to see.

        We made our way to where the taxi would pick us up, and it seemed almost like I was in a dream.  Was it really this hot?  Was I really back in India?  Was I really standing next to him?  Was I really committing the next two years of my life to this place?  Little did I know that a lot more than two years was in store for me.