MicahJohn

Queridos Amigos

I keep finding myself wanting to break forth in Spanish. But though I have not tried it, I doubt speaking in Spanish would help clarify anything. I hear people talking and think I hear some Spanish words. But it’s all Thai (or Isaan).

Things here have been well, though there are no exciting food stories. The only story involving food is the story about Joe and I feeding fish in a park in Roi Et. Throwing food into this lake brought loads of fish crowding to the surface of the water. There were catfish that, I think without exaggerating, were three feet long. But fish are hard to measure honestly.

I recently closed an email with TTFN and attributed it to Tigger. I have received word from readers in the UK that TTFN goes back beyond the Americanized Winnie the Pooh. I quote, “TTFN, which you attribute to Tigger of Winnie the Pooh fame (Americanised version), originated with a very popular radio comedy in the UK during WWII know as ITMA (It’s that man again) so it has a very ancient pedigree.” This trivia/correction contributed by my relatives Phil and Flora Nell Duke.

Speaking of contributions, I have received some questions in personal emails that I thought might be of interest to the greater reading public. One reader writes, “Are the letters characters like in Japanese or Chinese? Can you spell some words with your 18 letters?” I responded, The letters are pretty phonetic like spanish with a few exception rules (many fewer than English). Each letter is named its sound followed by the vowel aw like in saw, followed by a word in which it is used (If English did the same, P would be named “paw panda” or something). So every letter is a vocab word. I have the spellings for these words, but I have not yet learned all the letters in them. I haven’t learned any vowels they are all at the end of the alphabet. Disclaimer: I write this as someone who is learning with some other preschoolers not as a master of the written Thai language.

Another reader asks, “What is the landscape like there?” My response is duplicated below for your reading pleasure.

Landscape? Either trees/jungle, village among said trees (but less jungle), or rice fields. With every village/town is at least one temple. Every temple, government building, school, and hospital has a wall in front of it, and usually a large sign with silver or gold letters on a blue or black background.

When I first got here there were cows and buffalo grazing in the fields, but they have started planting rice and so have penned up the animals in most places. They are now being fed hay from the many haystacks that pepper the landscape (both in the village and in the fields). The hay stacks look like what I think of when I hear haystack except they have a tall pole coming out the top of them. So they are haystacks on a stick.

Another thing sprinkled about in the fields are rough shelters, often just a roof. I assume for shelter from the sun for a midday nap, or for shelter from the rain in a sudden storm. The fields are usually square, usually small. They have small hills/earthen walls separating them from the other fields. They plow the fields with these sweet tractor things; they have two wheels and two long handles (they look kind of like old school plow handles). They hook up all kinds of things to these tractors: plows in the field, wagons on the roads. The operator walks behind them, or if they have a wagon hooked up, the operator rides the wagon.

The roads were good when I got here but have in about a week gone bad. All the dirt roads have turned to mud roads, and the mud roads have turned to rutted roads. The rain is here (that’s why they’re planting rice and bringing in the cows). Even some paved roads seem to be getting worse fast. My best guess is that there is not a good base under the asphalt and so when the ground gets wet underneath the road it doesn’t hold up the asphalt well any more and then heavy trucks start to crack it and tear it apart.

In addition to the cows and buffalo, there are a bunch of ugly chickens and ugly dogs. The nicest looking dogs I’ve seen are here in the village, the worst I’ve seen were in the town of Ubon Ratchathani.

Many thanks to this issue’s contributors. My apologies for the places where I used language more suited to the original questioner than to the general public. The reason for all these pieces is that I am at the end of the day and still have not brought in my laundry and would like to go to bed. I wanted to send all of you something and pasting in a few pieces from other letters was faster than writing something new.

Off to bring in my sheets even if they’re still damp.

Peace

Micah

Insert some sort of opening word(s) here (i.e. Hey or Howdy)

We went to a coffee shop with a very western feel the other day. Not having had anything straight up sweet in a while I selected a bread thing off the shelf that looked like some sort of cinnamon bread. The bread was bread, the glaze was glaze, the brown stuff was shredded pork (not cinnamon). Bottom line, my sweet tooth was not satisfied. Later in the day one of the schools we taught at fed us a meal. I got excited when they brought out desert. My sweet craving was again disappointed. Not that the black bean soup wasn’t good, it just wasn’t what I think of when I hear desert.

I have completed more alphabet training. I’m up to 18 letters. Counting vowels there are 70something letters in the Thai alphabet, so I still have a ways to go.

Last night there was a pretty serious rain storm. This morning it was nice and cool. I decided to go for a run. I think my body and even mind have been missing that kind of activity. Running beside rice fields on a cool morning is a good feeling, a refreshing experience.

We had a church service here at the center today. As far as I know it went well. Except for the special music I did, it was in the Thai and Isaan languages. One of the prayer requests was for someone to replace Joe (he has been here from the States for about 10 months and will be leaving at the end of June). People keep looking at me like I’m supposed to stay and take over Joe’s responsibilities. At least as of now, that doesn’t sound to me like what I’m going to be doing.

After church I played guitar with an older man from the village. He was good! We had a lot of fun playing random things together. I even taught him part of a Spanish song (Mientes Tan Bien). He kept talking to me in Thai between songs, and he kept expecting me to understand. I did my best to let him know that despite being in Thailand, I don’t speak Thai. Despite an inability to communicate through spoken language, I think we both went away having had a good time.

Pray for me that I am a good housemate, a good teacher, a good picture of Christ’s love to those I interact with. Pray for Joe; the approach of his home going is increasing his homesickness. Pray that I learn from those around me, from my experiences, and from wherever else God wants to speak to me. Also, pray that the mosquitoes don’t suck out all of my blood.

As Tigger says, TTFN (ta ta for now)

Micah

Greetings and such

Two days ago we went to a funeral next door that had been going on since I got here. Apparently they last five days. They sat us down on a raised platform/table (cross-legged with shoes off) and fed us papaya salad and snake meat.

One of the people in attendance wore a fittingly black shirt. The words written on the shirt had an irony hidden to all but English speakers. The shirt said “staying alive.”

In the afternoon two days ago we went to a school to teach a weekly English class. This was the first time we had gone and they wanted us to use their books. So we went in pretty blind. The book was pretty weird. I don’t think it was written by a native English speaker. It had things like the question “what’s it?” rather than “what is it?” If you would ask “what’s it?”, feel free to let me know. It was not clear what the kids are supposed to be learning from the book. It is just a bunch of random dialogues. We hope to look more at the book before next time and figure it out. Joe kept it fun with pronunciation games. We’ll see what happens next time.

When we got back from the school we had classes here at the center. Because Joe’s class only had two people in it due to rain, I went and sat with the preschoolers who were learning the Thai alphabet. I learned eight letters! By the end, kid’s from upstairs in Maa’s class had gotten out and gathered around. They thought it was quite entertaining to watch a 22 year old try and keep eight letters straight as the teacher quizzed him. I couldn’t even properly pronounce most of the letters’ names.

That night I ate a dish full of what looked like onions until you touched them and they moved like rubber. It was pork skins. I also ate some of a fish that still had its head and fins. It was all very good.

Yesterday the school we were supposed to be at canceled. I took a nap!

In the afternoon I had day two of preschool. I learned five more letters. It is harder and harder to keep them straight. They don’t look like anything I’ve seen before and the more I learn the more they merge with each other in my brain. I also learned how to write the numbers.

I played soccer with some guys on a concrete pad in the school yard before dinner. It was fun. They were clearly laughing at me several times, but I have no idea why. No one was there to translate. I think though they enjoyed my being there. When I left they offered to shake my hand (a non-Thai thing).

I hope all is going well on your end

Peace

Micah

Hey Everybody

This email connection is slow enough that I don’t want to go back to look at my last email to find out where I left off, so forgive me if I overlap or gap a little.

Since Saturday afternoon I’ve been in (the province, not the city of) Roi Et. Arrival here was a lot easier than I had feared. I am staying in a pretty nice house in a pretty poor village. I’m sharing a room with another American (Joe). He has been here about 10 months and has taught himself a remarkable amount of Thai. Also in the house are to Thai ladies, Maa and Fon. Both speak some English. Maa speaks pretty well.

Saturday afternoon some kids took me on a tour of the village. I provided great opportunities for laughs. They tried to feed me a pepper that apparently would have burnt my head off. Joe rescued me from that one. They did succeed in feeding me a fruit that dried out my mouth and left in numb for a little bit. Weird!

Sunday we had a service on the second floor of the English Learning Center (the place where I am staying). In attendance were the house residence and several kids (including two girls crippled by polio). They asked me to do special music in English. That was about the only thing in the service that I understood. Joe translated a few other bits and pieces for me. After the service everybody had lunch together. Sticky rice and Papaya salad. We all just dove in to a common dish with our hands. In the afternoon Joe gave an English lesson and I helped out.

Yesterday (Monday) was the day off here at the center. They took me to see a big temple. The internet connection is way too slow for pictures, and words, and even the pictures, fall far short. The temple was in a large courtyard with beautiful gardens and several towers. In the middle the temple rose far above the towers. Inside was a large room with pillars and a Buddha image. Up some stairs was another large impressive room with a beautiful stone floor and another image. Up some stairs the same was repeated. I’m not sure how many layers there were. But each was breath taking. It was overwelming to continue just going up and seeing more when what was below would have been enough.

In the market for dinner I got something cooked in a leaf. It tasted pretty good until someone told me it was fish eggs. After that It was harder to eat.

Thanks to all of you who have sent me emails. It is great to hear from you. I’m sorry that I have not responded. I hope to.

Peace

Micah

Hey friends

I know I’m forgetting some people, and I think I double listed others of you. Sorry. Please send this to anyone I forgot. If you don’t want these mass emails, let me know. I won’t cry (then again, some of you probably could make me).

After about 30 hrs at home I hit the road for Thailand. From the very beginning God has shown his care for me on this trip. After sitting down to wait to board my flight in Dullus, I heard the girl directly behind me talking about going to visit her parents who are missionaries in Thailand. Knowing that one of Dawn Tobin’s sisters was headed to Thailand sometime this summer, I decided to take a chance. I turned around and asked her if she was a Tobin. Having startled Bethany, I quickly explained that I know her sister. We passed the time in Dullus and in Tokyo together. She helped me get through the Bangkok airport, through customs, to our respective rides.

I flew with a Japanese airway (All Nippon Airways). So as part of my airline meal I got to eat raw fish for the first time. I (mainly) liked it.

I spent one night and one day in Bangkok. I stayed at a guest house. I went to the top of the tallest tower in Thailand. I ate great food. And I got to play with the Goshorn children!

After a full day, Randy put me on the night train to Ubon. Getting on the train I was nervous. I was leaving English behind without knowing Thai. I didn’t know how to find a bathroom or where to put my luggage. As I walked up the aisle of my car looking for my seat I heard someone say “hi Micah.” There were the Tobins, and crazier still, there was my seat. On a train with over 16 cars each with several seats I was ticketted to be the fourth chair in the group of four seats occupied by the three Tobins. How mighty is God’s hand!

In Ubon I was picked up by Amy Myers. I have gotten to eat great food. Including a cricket. I’ve gotten a tour of Ubon. I’ve had more little kid time! Sweet yes!

Tomorrow I leave for Roi Et. Please pray for me. I will be there teaching English and who knows what else. I do not know any of the people I am going to be with. I do not know their expectations. Pray that in my weakness God’s strength would shine through. Pray thhat despite an inability to speak Thai, I would be able to live God’s love for the people of Roi Et.

I miss you

Peace

Micah