My Room/A Small Adventure

I thought I'd post a few pics of my room. Definitely no "suffering for Jesus" going on here :) The Porters are such gracious hosts. I felt so welcomed and cared for with hospitality as I arrived. They even had a welcome basket with some "Thai snacks" waiting for me when I got there.


It was interesting to see some of the differences in "living methods" in Thailand. The air-conditioner in the picture is standard for the country. They do not have "central air" systems. Each room has it's own unit that is controlled by each room. It is actually kinda nice. Coming from a house full of roomies who each have their own likes and dislikes in climate control, I could definitely be open to this cultural norm :)

Most all of the bathrooms have no shower stalls. They tile the entire bathroom and you just step into the toilet area and use the shower (which are wall units that heat the water right on the spot). It's hard to see in this pic, but they even have little shower curtains you can pull over the toilet so it doesn't get soaked. Also, all the bathroom accessories (trash can, drawers, etc.) are made of plastic so that any water that sneaks out from the shower area won't damage them.







A SMALL ADVENTURE - Today was a really free day for me. Before they left for the YWAM base, I had the Porters give me a few directions on how to navigate the city. So, with very little knowledge of the area and a completely limited ability to speak the language, I set out... Those of you that know me, will know that this was a miracle of sorts, since I don't like stepping into situations where I don't have some familiarity. So this was big for me. Maybe not for others, but it was for me :)

And it turned out great. I rode a truck/taxi into town, looking out for signs and landmarks that the Porter's told me about. Eventually I found the area they mentioned. It was near a public school and the YWAM base. I spent about an hour walking through malls and outdoor markets, discovering all the sights (and smells) that Bangkok has to offer :) Then I plucked up my courage to walk in a restaurant and do my best to communicate with the waitress on what I wanted to eat. Eventually I got my food, ate, and settled into a nice couch in the restaurant with an iced mocha. The waitress had her baby son with her in the store, and I enjoyed a few interactions with him, and shared a few smiles with the waitress as her son took his time deciding whether I was trustworthy or not. I eventually got him to wave "hello" and "goodbye" to me...it was fun. I also ran into a bunch of YWAM students who were on a 3 week mission experience. Most came from around the world, but one boy was from Anaheim and we got to share some conversation as his grandma lived in Porterville. He still remembered the hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant near Exeter...what was it called? We couldn't remember.

Anyway, I took the cultural plunge today...and it was really fun. Now I'm the one walking down to the local market to pick up groceries for the Porters. Who 'da thunk? :)