Okay, so let’s just start off with the really bad news.  You know how we’ve been using our back-up, old-school, ghetto laptop the past month, while we wait with drooling anticipation for our good ol’ beloved MacBook to return from the doctor in the States?  Well, two days ago, our back-up fritzed.  It actually turns on, and we can get internet access, but the screen won’t light up.  It stays black.  Well, Kabob can actually read e-mails with a flashlight, but it’s not easy, and it’s not exactly practical.  And it definitely brings the white-trashnessness to a whole new level.

So right now, I’m on a friend’s laptop, making this public announcement.  It looks like until early August, when our laptop returns, internet access for us will be very sporadic – an internet cafe here, a friend’s house there…  It really stinks.  Maybe God is cutting off all forms of our outside communication for a reason or something.  Who knows.  I have approximately 30 ba-ga-jillion e-mails to reply to, and I’m really sorry if yours is one of them.  I will get to them as I can.  I’ve read them all, and thank you for all your kind words.

So, on to happier news…  We’re doing well.  Chiang Mai is great!  We haven’t seen much, but it’s really laid-back and relaxing – pretty much just what the doctor ordered, both figuratively and literally.  What I’ve liked best, so far:

• We are staying in an actual, honest-to-goodness house, in a real suburban neighborhood.  As in, we have a little patch of grass, our walls aren’t attached to anybody else’s, and kids ride their bikes on the street.  And it’s quiet.  I hadn’t realized how much urban living had stressed out my nerves.  It’s wonderful right now.
• We have air-conditioning, hallelujah!  I feel like a somewhat normal person.
• Things are cheap.  We went to a wonderful local Thai restaurant in our neighborhood a few nights ago, got four plates of food and three drinks, and the bill was not quite $7.
•  It’s actually been cooler here.  It’s definitely more humid and muggy, but since it’s not hot, it’s no big deal to me.
• We went to church today, and it was a very westernized church.  Everything was in English, they had childcare, we did worship with a guitar, communion, the works.  For right now, it was very-much needed.
• And speaking of, there aren’t nearly as many security issues here.  Well, you can probably guess that, since I’m able to say I’m in Thailand, I’m in Thailand, I’m in Thailand.  But you know those words we don’t say even in the walls of our own home?  You know, they usually start with “c” or “m”?  Well, you can say those here.  It’s a real load off.
• Finally, on our way to church, we saw elephants on the side of the road, just hanging out.  No lie.  It’s kinda like when you see cows along the road in Austin, or gators in Florida.  As in, it was no big deal.  But it was mighty cool to us.

All our appointments start this week, so we’d appreciate your prayers when you think of it.  I don’t know how frequently I’ll be able to update this blog, due to the first paragraph of information.  But I’ll do what I can!

posted: 07 July 8
under: culture