Pictures from Teacher Retreat - Pataya

Some More Interesting Things

Here is a list some some interesting things here in Thailand, and some updates on my life:

1. Family Motorcycle - where a family of four or even five can ride together on a moto, and not only on the road like you would expect, but on the sidewalk!  Mom and Dad, baby and older sister, like a family circus!  Wish I had a camera to show you what I mean, it was great.
2. Peeing Next to a Woman! - May sound crazy but yeah it's true.  If you get stage fright you may never want to pee in a public restroom, you never know who will walk in.  I walked into the Resort bathroom and there was two cleaning ladies, I being the dumb American expected them to leave once they saw me, but that never happened.   So I went to the urinal and started my business.  One lady left, but the other ladystayed and started cleaning the urinals next to me... there was about five in a row, she was at the other end, but still, talk about awkwardness!  :)
3. Motor cycles=parasites and never open the door on the right side of a car - Ok, so we all know that there are dotted lines on the road right!  Well, here those lines mean; motorcycle lanes!  You never want to open the door on the right side of the vehicle because you may knock a person off their bike, as they travel through these lanes, and you would be blamed!  Funny yes but true.  Ok and the bikes here are like little parasites; have you ever seen those little fish that follow around the sharks or bigger fish for safety?  Well, that is a good picture of the moto/car relationship here.  They swarm around the other vehicles like that.
4. Wai we Respect you - No matter what happens, if you Wai someone its ok.  I was throwing the football around with the pastor this weekend, and the ball got away from me and hit (well actually rolled up her body and off her head) a lady sun bathing on the beach.  She was a white woman, probably western European or something.  She wasn't to happy but for some reason, and it shows how things have become part of my life, I Waied this lady.  I was like [wai] sorry (just like my students when they do something stupid or bad--haha), and grabbed the ball and ran off... like I am some Thai-Asian man... it was cool though, it made me feel a part of Thailand instead of some tourist... I have a better understanding of Asian culture and who they are, and it's part of me now.
5. Traffic lights and Traffic - It took us 45 minutes to get somewhere the other day, and then coming back 5 minutes, same distance.  It's crazy!  Traffic lights are rare and when they are used it takes 12 minutes to have them change.  Plus, I do think it would be hard to get 1 million people through one intersection in 2 minutes.  :)
6. Work Permit - So I have been working here for two months and now I am finally legal.  I got my work permit today.  Amazing... I will open an account and get a debit card!
7. Old Friend Moves to Bangkok - So I have a friend move to Bangkok today, she is like family since she was on the Gym-Masters with me.  It was like fresh air to see someone I knew from home... Her name:  Kelly McClurg.  She is helping at the Mission Office and will be working with the church plant in the Old City.
8. Pataya! - Teacher Retreat!  Great times.  A city with a bad name.  It's like the Sin City of Thailand, but that's where we decided to take our Spiritual Retreat, haha.  Nice little beach area, and a great time to meet some of my fellow teachers... there was atleast 200 plus teachers, staff and family members on the retreat, four busses and a number of personal vehicles.  I have pictures coming, my camera broke and I am collecting pictures from other people.

God bless, and comment, comment, comment!

Ryan