The Children's Safe Home

After all the craziness of exploring Bangkok we were ready to escape up north. Through a friend’s contact back at home we were able to meet up with a great program which sponsors at-risk children. Each one has such a unique story as to how they actually arrived here, but every child seems very grateful to be here. After viewing the great need, we are so thankful for being here too!



The kids gave a very warm welcome, tackling us strangers with huge hugs as we arrived. We knew from that moment that this would be the highlight of our entire trip. The kids range in age from 1 to 15 years and each one has such a distinct and colorful personality, coming from such unfortunate backgrounds. We thought communication would be a problem, but it really is not... we are already much better players of charades!


The children normally go to a eegufer school for B children from 8:30-3:30 everyday, and learn everything from math and science and Bible classes to Thai and some English. But this week is a holiday for them, so we spent more time with them and took them on field trips.


We went right to work on some basic repairs around the home and taught them how to do it as we went. They are all so eager to learn. There are only two boys in the orphanage but they love Anders and are so happy to have another guy around! All the leaders and most of the kids are girls. But the two boys follow him around everywhere and love to do things just like him:) Since the lumber is so expensive, locals use bamboo. The kind owner of the gas station let us chop down a bamboo tree in his parking lot.

Chiang Mai

We took the overnight train up to Chiang Mai. The green views were breathtaking! Rainy season is about to end; we're not looking forward to the heat!

The Floating Market

Just a couple hours outside of Bangkok is the floating market. And in fact, the entire town is pretty much on stilts and even transportation around town is by boat.

Bangkok

Bangkok is a crazy place of pure sensory overload. We arrived in the city around 1 am, which is just as the city is beginning to come alive. There are people selling you clothes, pad thai, scarves, and throwing fire all within steps of each other!









Bangkok is also home to some amazing Thai foods, our favorite is a street cart called Mr. Yim’s. Yim means “smile” in Thai, which is something he is always doing:) Lori was able to shadow him for a day and help out at his food cart. Westerners were reported to have been looking at her very strangely! The Tom Kha (coconut soup) is really something amazing for your mouth. The bugs were not so good.


Something also that we’ve learned very early on is how much the Thai LOVE their king. They seem to absolutely adore him, but, out of reverence, no one is permitted to speak about him. But, there are photos of him everywhere- literally. You can find them in the train station, on the center road dividers, in the banks, on buildings, in commercial centers, everywhere. In fact, every Tuesday most people wear pink because it’s the king’s favorite color! I love pink Tuesdays!

Recovery

We have done practically nothing but lay in bed and watch American politics dominate the world news. Go McCain!! (that’s for you Kevin) Every now and then we hobble out to buy groceries or take a dip in the beautiful crystal clear water.

Also, big news for the day…our two month anniversary! But we’ve both discovered that marriage doesn’t seem to be good for our health. As we vowed to love each other in sickness and in health, we sure hope the next fifty years brings just a little more health. To date, between us both and without any exaggeration, counting my hernia surgery, Lori’s stay in the hospital, various colds, food or water poisoning, gravel rash, sunburns, horrible jellyfish stings, numerous mosquito and ant bites, muffler burns, diarrhea, and constipation, we’ve been on three rounds of anti-biotics, used 250grams of antibiotic cream, used six wheelchairs, one cane, one walker, two rounds of vicodin and other pain medications, one IV, two blood tests, one x-ray, one catscan, one surgery, ten wounds, two impaired joints, spent about twenty five days (and counting) limping, two- almost four syncopal events, one admit to the hospital with two complimentary meals, nine uses of the thermometer, eighteen tablets of “stop-cold”, met six doctors, countless nurses, and spent twenty seven days in bed. We’ve really come to appreciate our time together between hospital visits! Now who wants to come on our next expedition?

Compared to John McCain’s torture and Jesus’ crucifixion, we really don’t have much to complain about and are truly thankful to still be alive!

What’s funny is that we signed up for this!

Boracay Island

After the long journey out of Bohol, first tricycle, to overnight ferry, to taxi, to airplane, walking across town to another tricycle, to another ferry, to another tricycle, then walking down the dirt road and up the hill to our beautiful little honeymoon suite, it was all worth it. We have finally arrived in beautiful Boracay, proclaimed to be home to the whitest sand beach in the world! We think this is the best place in the world to recover.


Although we were planning to be more active here with the stellar scuba diving, mountain biking, and windsurfing, we are perfectly content to spend some R&R on the white sand. We’ve been learning to be flexible. Sometimes, plans change.

We thought people stared at us before the accident, now we’ve determined everyone stares at us. Now I sure don’t know why.


Picture this, we are quite possibly the only white people on this island, Lori’s wearing a bright yellow sun dress while much of her remaining skin is covered in bandages. Having so much pity, the bathroom attendants don’t even bother charging her the $.10 fee.