Happy 2556!

That’s right folks. Here in Thailand, not only did I get to ring in the New Year eleven hours before P.E.Islanders, but I also got to celebrate the arrival of a year I will never experience in Canada. Thais follow the Buddhist calendar which is ahead of the international calendar. It always makes me smile when my students hand in their work with the date written over 500 years in the future.

For the New Year holiday Connor and I travelled eight hours to the lovely village of Ban Tallot where we had the privilege of visiting Jim and Marion Harris. Three P.E.Islanders in a tiny unheard of village in rural Thailand – how fun!  It was a wonderful gift to spend time with missionaries whom I greatly love, respect, and who teach me so much. They greeted us warmly and we so enjoyed staying in their home and wandering around the village and countryside. It was very relaxing to have time to read, play games, drink tea and chat around the kitchen table. We had a fantastic break from city life yet were still able to watch the locals set off more fireworks than the city of Summerside.

On our walk home from the bus station in Tak, I was stopped in my tracks. An elephant was walking down the road! Connor bought some sugar cane and we fed the elephant. It was SO neat. We continued our walk back, retelling the story of what had just happened when I looked up again, and there was another elephant! At first Connor thought I was joking, but sure enough this time there was a baby elephant, only two years old, and not 3 minutes away from our apartment building. We fed it too and this little guy even left me with a nice little cut on my hand as proof.  It was a marvelous surprise and a fabulous end to a great weekend. 

As for how I celebrated Christmas, well, it was certainly different from usual but it was still special. In the morning I had a family gathering via skype; seeing their loving faces for the first time since I left the country was without question my favorite gift. I then spent the day proctoring student exams and went to church in the evening where we sang carols in Thai and shared a Christmas feast. Remembering Jesus’ birth with Thai people was a beautiful picture of the truth that He came not for a certain race, class, or culture, but for people of all nations.   

Just the other day a teacher at school asked me if I believed Jesus was real. How wonderful it was to be able to tell her that not only is Jesus real, but He is alive. How great to be able to share that Christianity is not about the ‘dos and the don’ts’ which we all fail at, but rather about knowing Jesus, trusting Him, and living for Him. It is He that offers life and not us who can work to achieve it.

Sending you all my biggest and bestest of wishes for a fabulous year ahead!  

~Heather

A tuk tuk was my horse and sleigh ride this year. 

Christmas card wreath decor. Thank you to everyone who has been so kind in
sending me cards, emails, letters, etc. It never fails to brighten my day!

Someone sent me snow from Canada!
(Thanks Beth!)

Boxing Day Treat!
(Thanks Connor!)

Snowman salt and pepper shakers belonging to my Grammie helped decorate my room for Christmas.
A little bit of Christmas at the Farm in Thailand.
(Thank you Joanne!)

No tree to hang ornaments but this beautiful angel
makes me smile each time I open my armoire door.
(Thanks Marlene!)

Look Joanne - a teddy bear tree in Thailand!

Ban Tallot is beautiful.

Wet rice field.

Drying paddy field.

Thai potato field. They actually don't eat Thai potatoes,
instead they process them for starch. 

Workers in a potato field. They let the Thai potato plants grow 6-7 feet high. 

Sugar cane!

Cotton!

Brahman cows

Jackfruit tree.

I love seeing palms.

Off duty guard dog. I think the heat got to him.

Happy New Year!

Hey look! There's an elephant walking down the road.

mmmm, sugar cane.

Here's a few shots from the New Year's Festival here in Tak:

Crowded market 

Thai dancers are always excited to pose for foreigners' pictures. 

Twelve New Experiences

1) Seeing Ruins! I got to visit Sukhothai which was of the ancient capital of Siam. It was incredible to cycle and walk among the ruins, to learn about the history of Thailand, of Buddhism in this nation.  

2) Thai Nicknames. English translations of Thai names are complicated. For example, Supatchareporn, Watcharaphong, and Thaowatthanarungroj are a few popular student names. Rather than going by these names though, all students, and all Thai people for that matter, have nick names. Some examples include: Moss, Milk, Cream, Dodo, Golf, Stamp, Tang, Cake, Noname. Although I am now very familiar with the nick name system, I still had to bite my cheeks this morning to keep from laughing when a lady at a coffee shop told me in all seriousness that her name was Pancake.

3) Driving a motorbike! Yes indeed folks, I have ridden a motorbike and my pink helmet is dandy.

4) Going to the JUNGLE! Lan Sang National Park is only 20kms from Tak and Connor and I had a fabulous time hiking in the mountains and swimming in the waterfall.

5) Being called a hippy. On our way back from Lan Sang, we were walking on the road when a man stopped us and, in a confused tone asked “You two walk?… You two are Thailand hippies!” 

6) Saying hi to monks! Or, as my new Chinese friends here call them, “the men with no hair”.

7) Going a month without eating a potato. This was not my favorite of experiences.

8) Counting in Thai. The #5 is pronounced “Ha”. For shorthand, instead of writing LOL (laugh out loud) like students do in Canada, Thai students write “555”  meaning “hahaha” when laughing at a comment.   

9) Buying toasted bread with sweetened condensed milk and sprinkles. A student from my school and her family set up a little stand just outside my apartment where they sell these concoctions nightly. Thais love condensed milk and seem to find a way to put it on or in everything.  

10) Drinking hot soy milk from a plastic bag. This is a typical Thai treat and there are many vendours at the downtown market to satisfy your hot milk cravings.

11) Going to bed and waking up to temple music. I live across the street from a large Buddhist temple and this past week there was a father’s day (or 3 day) celebration in honour of the king’s birthday. The king is held in very high regard and worshiped here.  There must have been a number of musicians as the traditional music began late one afternoon and did not seem to stop until 3 days later.   

12) Christmas in Thailand. This will be my first Christmas away from home and celebrating in a country where Jesus is unknown. It is truly hard to not be with family at this time of year. It is also heartbreaking to be among a people with so little awareness of a God who loves them so deeply.   

Here are some pictures from our trip to the historical site in Sukhothai:

My Island craving finally satisfied. 

We returned to see the sites at night:

Village life in Sukhothai.

Fish farming 

And now some shots from Lan Sang National Park:

Eighteen monks came to school the other day to receive merit offerings from the students and staff. Here are some photos from their visit:

Monks at the market.