In touch

Recently, someone told me that my friends would always be there for me, even if I never talked to them. Maybe they'll stick around for all my blog typos too...

In touch, Somedays I think I've lost it. Somedays the kids call me crazy... and somedays, I wonder if they're right. Especially when I'm teaching third graders english vocab, or picking up desks and saying, "desk! desk! desk!" Or when I was at english camp leading the hokie pokie with a bunch of high schoolers saying, you put your hips in, your "put" your hips out - and trying to keep my composure while singing that into a mic. Then later doing the "cha cha slide". On stage... Don't ask.

In touch - with that side of me that kind of says "screw what those people think of me". I think that is what confidence is based on a little... I also happen to think insanity is also based on that same attitude of not caring about what normal is. Luckily it's not exactly a fine line... insanity is way out there. Thank goodness.

So - I could tell you about going through a cave with 2 flashlights and 10 people. About my fellow volunteers nearly burning there hut down - and managing to burn the compost heap - to the ground. Learning how to put a machete together and all kinds of other random crafty stuff I never learned at home. To dealing with someone saying they'd kind of like to kill me - and bonding?? because of it...

In touch - I came to Thailand to serve. To serve God, in the end, but I think the people were on my mind quite a bit more... I mean kids talk, laugh, and play. Whats the difference between serving God and serving the people around you? Whats the difference between preaching God loves you and you need to obey what he said... and simply, loving people and striving to be an example. I've received so much more than I've given - and that has been humbling beyond what I ever would have guessed.

In touch? I've lost touch with people at home - there is no question about that. When you are away from people common ground is so much harder to find. Not only that, but when your busy - or are convinced you are busy, focusing on people and not tasks is a trick.

I'll call who I can - and write the people I can. Maybe I'll even send a post card or two. Thank you, for trying to be in touch. Life is full - And, it should be. Live it

-Nick

Just the usual

The usual?

Sometimes, I forget about how Bamboo School life isn't really that different from life at home. Then I remember how crazy things really are here.

Momochore got kidnapped the other day by an ex- student with no legs. Now, normally, that would be unusual the fact is this isn't the first time the jerk with no legs has tried to take Momochore, it's just that this time... he had some help. I was also on my back suffering from some kind of gnarly stomach thing.

The police are involved so hopefully we'll have him home soon.

The usual - kids snuck out after they weren't supposed to last saturday night - after - being told they weren't ok'd to go to kick boxing because of their bad behavior. Momo has sent them all away.

The other a couple guys trucked up the drive with a friend that had a 4 inch machete cut on his face. I jumped into the ambulance without shoes with Koala, and we wrapped the poor guy up and kept pressure on while momo drove the 25 minute trip in 12 minutes to Sai Yok hospital.

Drama, drama, drama- If we don't actually have it we make it up. We're addicts here in at the bamboo school.

It's all about your perspective. I was running kids to school with an Australian guy one morning who was so stoked that we ran out of gas and were riding the motorbike around. He was like, this would never happen anywhere else! He was new, and probably still in awe of the buffalo and bathing in the "river." I remember looking back at him... and thinking... dude, this is like every other day...

HOW SAD IS THAT???

Whenever where your at looses its flavor, check your perspective. Chances are it has potential.

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