Karen Kids like alligator push ups, and swim with Crocodiles too

At least, for 5 minutes I believed Karen kids swam with crocodiles. We work on bamboo schools land down by a lake whenever we can. The first time I went down the kids told be there were "cocadils" in the lake. It took them a few tries to deliver their joke. These days, I'm a trillion times more used to their accents though.

I went swimming anyway, but, being as gullible as I am, I checked with Bil-lae(23ish) first. After he told me there were three or four Crocodiles swimming around who didn't eat Karen because they liked Karen, I figured I would give the water a shot. The guys were a bit disapointed. And after they got over me spoiling there joke - we played this sick twisted "kick people as they jump into the water game"

At this point in my bamboo school experience I thought these kids were fearless, a few weeks later I found out the younger guys won't swim out into the water because they are afraid of a fish with good reason, it has some impressive teeth. Some of us still swim though.

Even though the majority of the guys under the age of fifteen are scared of fish, they're still pretty much the toughest kids I've met. Their pain tolerance is ridiculous. Well, thats normal for all Karen, on a side note - Karen women never make loud sound during child birth. I learned that after taking a pregnant lady to the hospital. Another story though...

Karen kids are tough and so sometimes things get violent. I've never seen kids kick each other more. They have so much violence incorporated into their games, even their card games involve pain, it's really ridiculous. The food does too, they eat way to much chili and it's painful sometimes, other times it's actually pretty good.

What do alligator push ups have anything to do with it? Thats how I figured out what a cocadil was... Ask Thomas Freeman about alligator push ups if you're really curious.. if not... well I suppose you can use your imagination or something.

Yah Eh Nah

I should have posted this months ago...

Yah-eh-na

My first Friday night at the bamboo school went something like this- It was an outdoor worship, mats out on the grass, and the young guy that had been following me around to the bathroom and trying to teach me Karan(Cur-in), which he hardly knows himself, was using a nail clipper as a race car all over my left leg. I was tired. We wake up at 5:45 everyday for worship at 6:00 a.m. and by our 7:00 p.m. worship sleep calls my name in the exact opposite way that I’m hearing teachah ni, teachah ni. I look down at Soo-tit yeah… soo-tit, it sounds like soo- tea though, anyway I look down at this boy and he says yah-eh-nah. yah-eh-way, with a big grin on his face and a rising tone. I’m clueless as to what this means – and a little annoyed beacuase he is still motoring stuff through my leg hair, but you have to see this kids face as he looks at me and says, I love you. That is bamboo school - now, after two months I know it's alot more than that though.

Packing up moving out.

So the most common question people ask me is am I excited. Well, let me answer that for everyone, I'm excited in spots. Now, the first real genuine moment of excitement was probably the day I actually booked my ticket. The other was thursday, when I zipped up my frieken huge suitcase thinking that, "I'm done packing!!" Not so.

My mom quickly jumped around asking me if I had things like duct tape, laundry basket, swimsuit... all of which I packed, except for the ducttape. I forgot a few other obvious things too - but for my pride and dignity, neither of which I have that much left of, I'm going to leave those items off the list of - important stuff I didn't pack

Suffice it to say I'm outta here people. Email me, facebook me, give me nasty or awesome comments about my blog - really, whatever comes to mind. I miss you all

-Nick