White Christmas in Bangkok?

I woke up this morning to the coldest temperature I can remember in Bangkok for the past two years: a cool 19 degrees C (or 66 degrees F). This is quite the milestone for me because last night was the first time I opened my windows and did not have my air conditioner operating since I moved here. In fact, I didn't have my air conditioner on all day yesterday either at the office or at home since we only reached a high of 26 degrees C.

I have to laugh because this cool spell is having quite an effect on the Thai nationals. While the foreigners love it, the guards at my residence are sporting coats and the kids come to school bundled in sweaters. Students were overheard saying they were hoping for a white Christmas =) All we need is for the temperature to drop another 19 degrees C and for precipitation, a bit of a stretch since it is our dry season. Then again, I heard it snowed in Egypt only 5 days ago -- something that hasn't happened for over 100 years -- so I guess anything is possible!

After a little research, I learned the lowest temperature recorded for Bangkok occurred in January 1955 with a low of 10 degrees C (50 degrees F). With Bangkok having average consistent year round temperatures from mid-20 lows to mid-30 highs, I guess it is natural for the weather to become the topic of conversation when it ventures outside the norm. Still, we have a bit of a way to go before we experience a white Christmas.

Karaoke Christmas

The Leaman family and I decided to spend Christmas at the same mountain resort we visited last year. It was another wonderfully relaxing opportunity to get out of the city to take in fresh air, some quiet and cooler temperatures.

Christmas Eve turned out to be quite festive, Thai style, in an outdoor common area of the resort. Our Thai friends and neighbors at the resort invited us to dinner presenting us with a number of favorite Thai dishes. I don't think our hosts thought much about the fact that it was Christmas Eve because it's a Buddhist country, but it was sure nice to get together.

The dinner was fantastic and I took an immediate liking to a new dish I've never had before called Khai Jeow Cha-Om, made of stripped Acacia tree leaves, baked in an egg mixture and topped with a typical spicy Thai fish sauce. Of course the neighborhood dogs and cats also attended, remaining under the table looking for anything that might 'just happen' to fall to the ground.

So what did I end up doing on Christmas Eve with our Thai neighbors after dinner? Karaoke. For those of you who know me, know that I am not exactly a big fan of karaoke (choosing a song then singing to prerecorded background accompaniment) but the Thais love it so it's usually available wherever we go.

Strangely enough, this evening of singing on stage turned out to be quite meaningful. One of the workers at the resort owns and operates a karaoke system (complete with computerized selection of hundreds of songs, stage, lights, microphones, etc) and was able to provide us with a fairly wide selection of carols and Christmas songs. It was great to be able to enjoy Christmas in the tropics, even in this non-traditional karaoke-way.

We ended our evening walking back to the house we were renting, observing the stars we don't get to see in the city. Dean pointed out a familiar galaxy which, according to science, is one of over 170 billion in the universe. What a great reminder how the wise men were directed to Christ via the night sky thousands of years ago -- maybe even seeing some of the same stars we see today?

At one point during the evening it hit me how unique this Christmas Eve turned out. I'm sure I'll remember this one for a long time to come.

All From a Question

Little did I know a friendship would form when I first met and talked with this young 17 year old refugee (center) who happened to be sitting next to me in church one Sunday morning in early 2012. I will not forget the Spirit motivating me to ask my neighbor whether he needed help understanding the English Bible he held in his hands - the Bible he just received from the church after being baptized that morning.

I learned Wasim was a refugee from Sri Lanka. At the time Wasim's English was pretty-much non-existent so we did a lot of hand gestures and kept to simple words and phrases. Needless to say, he did not know how to read or understand his English Bible.

It is now going on two years after our first meeting and we continue to meet after church service most every Sunday. During our times together I have learned of his plight from Sri Lanka and the resultant difficulties that so many refugees encounter. My main goal at the time was to teach him enough English so we could eventually converse about the Bible and discuss other matters of faith. I figured knowing English would also help him on a daily basis (being the language Thais divert to when someone doesn't speak their language) and may one day help him land a job since English translators are always in demand.

I can't go into detail, but Wasim's family story of escaping Sri Lanka and being imprisoned in a detention center upon arrival in Thailand is heart-wrenching. Let's just say the things so many of us take for granted - such as religious freedom, living in relative peace and enjoying daily provisions - are simply not available to a vast majority of people worldwide. Nothing like being friends with someone living this scenario to better understand their struggles and lack of privileges.

By God's grace I have been able to support Wasim by enrolling him in private English classes during the week and then meeting with him on Sundays. Turns out he is a bright and motivated student. How great it is that we can now converse effortlessly in English. And now that he has a solid understanding of the language, I've encouraged him to share his knowledge by holding weekly ESL classes in his neighborhood, reading and (when necessary) translating Bible stories as part of the lesson. Not only can this reinforce Wasim's ability to communicate in English but he is learning how to teach others which can prepare him for when he is allowed to work in this country. (Refugees cannot attend public school or hold a job until they become recognized landed immigrants, which is so incredibly difficult especially on young people who are in a holding-pattern for years and have their lives in front of them!)

This Christmas season I was able to visit Wasim and the neighborhood children he teaches, bringing with me friends from church. We visited these wonderful kids and parents, handing out stockings, playing word games, then sharing a meal with them and also the true meaning of Christmas. Wasim told me that most children only know of Christmas as a time to wear a red hat (imitating Santa) and share cake. I remember this was the case when I visited the villages in Borneo years back. What a wonderful opportunity to share with them the real hope-filled life-changing meaning of Christmas!

It continues to be my prayer this ESL ministry spreads into other areas of the refugee community as others learn from Wasim. Not only could this provide opportunity for many to learn English but also the tenants of the Christian faith, preparing them to come to a saving knowledge of God while lovingly serving others along the way!

Under the Bright Lights

When Philip, our school’s High School Theatre Arts director, approached me last year asking whether I would be willing to form a small jazz band (with me on piano) to perform a couple songs in next year’s production, I admit he caught me on a good day. I knew I would be busy with all the seemingly endless duties expected of a new High School Counselor but I thought this would also be a wonderful opportunity to hang around our students and perform with them on stage.

Briefly, the play was written by someone on staff and takes place at a local mall called Mega Bangna and a slum area of Bangkok. The storyline involves a young girl who works at a ministry in the slums of Bangkok but also at a restaurant in Mega Bangna -- the same restaurant where my jazz band performs. Well, a group of young people come to our restaurant and the main actress ultimately takes them to the slums to introduce the Christmas message of Christ coming to earth. The play is really a wonderful depiction of the hope that Christ offers to all segments of society, regardless of class and physical environment.

Interesting that scenes switch from Mega Bangna to the slums because, as the name implies, the upscale mall is huge and located in the school's neighborhood which "hits a little close to home" for the audience. How mega? Well, besides anchor stores such as IKEA, the mall has over 115,000 square feet of retail space on multiple levels, over 100 restaurants, movie theaters, bowling alleys and (if you can believe it) an ice rink for all the foreigners who miss the cold and locals who want to experience floating on ice. Needless to say, Christmas in this place feels a lot different than in the slums!

Our band got together in September to start putting together Garth Brook’s rendition of Let It Snow and Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You. Jo was on drums, Khim on bass, Teak on sax, Tiffany on bells, Grace singing All I Want and yours-truly on piano. It was one thing practicing on our own but then to be placed on stage with lighting and sound issues – let alone the added rehearsals – was quite another matter.

At one point I came to realize I was the oldest person up there with all these kids. While I loved being part of the crowd, it was hard not to stand out when you’re 3-7 times the age of everyone around you =)

A few things I won’t forget from this experience. First, how cute it was when this seven year old came rushing backstage carrying a pile of clothes gathered in both arms, telling me he needed to quickly change or he would "miss his cue"; apparently the stage manager said he was "off schedule". And he told me all this while looking at and tapping his Mickey Mouse watch. Quite a responsibility for a budding actor!

Other memorable moments include wondering if I was going to be able to see the music at the piano because of lack of stage lighting, wondering if the bass guitarist was going to knock me out while swinging his instrument around and being convinced by my team to walk out snapping fingers when taking our curtain call. All in good fun!

A Day of Beauty

I found myself in the midst of the Thai celebration of Loi Krathong again this year. It is celebrated on the eve of the first full moon in the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar. Only this time, friends from Vietnam were in Bangkok for a conference and were able to witness this holiday with me firsthand.

The streets were active with those making decorative floats and purchasers searching for one to place on the nearest body of water. Of course, those selling food and trinkets got into the act as well. Never a dull moment.

Last year I only saw decorations made with a base of banana stalks which obviously float on water. This year, however, was the first time I saw decorative floats made of bread! I guess some environmentally-friendly Thais figure the fish prefer to feed on bread more than flowers and banana leaves.

We happened to be close to a neighborhood park in downtown Bangkok with a good-sized lake. It was a beautiful setting for the masses to congregate and float their decorations.

Not only is this a day of celebration that adorns the waterways (paying respect to the water spirits) but also a time to adorn themselves for locally-hosted beauty pageants and talent shows.

Koh Samed, Thailand

I’m trying to remember exactly who recommended I go to Koh Samed next chance I get. I know I was talking to someone I had just met –- most likely another counselor at a local conference.

Regardless, as soon as Doris said she was coming in from Japan to attend a mission conference in Rayong, I figured this would be a great place to relax since the island is only a 15 minute drive further down the coast. Since it was our school break, I took up residence on the island for most of the week even though Doris had to go to her conference part-way through.

What a great island get-away and it’s only a few hours from Bangkok! Doris flew in early Sunday morning and we took the next bus from the airport south toward the mainland pier. I’m constantly amazed how inexpensive it is to travel in this country –- transportation cost for both to/from my apartment/beach was a total of $40 including taxi, bus, mini-van and speed boat rides... not bad for 8 hours of travel!

When I say "get-away" that is exactly what defines the remote island of Koh Samed. Everything on the island is brought in by boat including food, supplies and visitors. It surprised me some when the boat dropped us off at the resort without officially docking! Turns out, all boats simply back in toward the beach as far as possible, lift the motor and set the anchor so people can wade through the water with bags in hand.

We found our way to the resort through all the activity on the beach. All in all, it was definitely a worthwhile trek because the Samed Villa Resort (our destination) offered a wonderful environment with private bungalows, immaculate grounds, excellent restaurant, friendly staff and awesome views of the ocean even while dining. After we checked into our rooms, we also discovered lots of natural rock formations along the beach -- perfect spots for quiet times.

I need to remember that Thailand offers more than the city of Bangkok when I'm in the thick of things at school. While I enjoy city life, I have no doubt the island of Koh Samed with resorts such as the Samed Villa will be a destination in the future especially since it’s so close to my domicile.