Saturday, June 19, 2010

It's hot here

Well, we made it! Both of our flights yesterday (hmm...I guess Thursday? This time change thing is killing me) went well - no problems or anything. We actually got bumped up a class for our first flight (so we were in Economy Plus - wider seats and extra leg room!) - talk about a sweet deal! The guy sitting behind us was jealous - he had to pay extra for his. :) It was really funny on our first flight - one of the flight attendents (or was it the pilot?) came on the intercom and told us that we'd be flying through 16 time zones and crossing the International Date Line before we made it to Tokyo...yep. That about sums it up!

We arrived to the Bangkok airport a little early, and what surprise awaited us there? It was 90 degrees Farenheit outside at 11:00 PM. Oh yay. Our plane didn't pull right up to a terminal, so we had to take stairs down (and we were on a 747 - LOTS of stairs!) and get on a bus, which took us to where we needed to be. After exchanging money, getting through customs, and eventually finding all our baggage, we were super tired and ready to go. Unfortunately, the people who came to pick us up weren't there yet (found out later that their van broke down on the way), so we were wandering up and down the terminal and baggage area, looking lost. Several of the airport workers asked us if we needed help and tried to give suggestions as to what we should do, but their accents were thick and I was so tired that I couldn't really understand anything they were saying. Eventually we got it all sorted out, so I could stop looking like a lost puppy. :) Good thing Michael was there to guide me and keep me somewhat alert!

We had to wait around at the airport for a while longer after that because another volunteer was flying in that night as well. We didn't end up getting to campus until about 2:30 in the morning...by which time I was still really tired, but also sort of waking up due to the jet lag/time changes. I didn't actually sleep very well last night...hopefully tonight will be better.

Today has also been full of adventures! We got up, unpacked our clothes, and then decided we ought to find some breakfast. There's a 7-11 down the street, so we went there and bought some bread and jam. I've decided it's going to be difficult finding a lot of things, though, because everything is written in Thai. Some things also have English, but not all of them. We went shopping with a couple of the other teachers this afternoon (at Big C - it's like Wal Mart or Meijer), and I was amazed at how difficult it was to figure out what kind of products we were buying! I'm gaining new appreciation for all those people who move to the US and have difficulty reading things we consider simple, such as the ingredients portion of a label.

On the way back from grocery shopping, we took a tuk-tuk! It was hilarious - sometime I'll have to get a picture posted on here for you. A tuk-tuk, for those of you who don't know, is like a three-wheeled little motor bike - one seat in front for the driver and two in the back for passengers. We managed to fit four of us in one of these little things today...good thing none of us fell out, because the driver was weaving in and out of traffic like crazy!

We also had our first "real" Thai meal for lunch (bread and jam for breakfast doesn't count) - we stopped at a couple of stalls and got some rice, chicken, and frozen/iced drinks (mine was pineapple/banana....mmm!) - the entire meal cost us about 105 Baht...around $3.00 for two of us to eat! It was sooo delicious - we'll definitely get used to the food around here. :)

A couple of other things - I found out that they have a sub teaching for me on Monday and Tuesday - hooray! Michael and I will be going through some orientation on those days, and so we have the weekend to relax and settle in. We still don't have Michael's job description, but we think he might be a sub for some things, since that's what the volunteers seem to be doing.

So, that's about it for now, I think! Don't expect blogs this long all the time - our lives are just filled with a lot of "firsts" right now! Tomorrow will be another - church in Thailand. I think we're going to go to the international service that meets on campus here, but we might check out some others as we are here longer.

Love you all - thanks for reading!

6 comments:

  1. Glad you made it there safely! The adventure has begun! Mom & Dad Boer

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  2. Sounds amazing! Maybe you should find somebody that knows the Thai language and have them spell out some of the imperative items you'll be needing? That way you're not totally lost in what you're buying.

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  3. Thanks for keeping us posted! It keeps prayers pertinent, and I like living through your international adventures, too. ;) Keep up the adventuring spirit!

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  4. Megan and Mike,
    Rob and I could hardly believe it when we saw your recent posts on Facebook. What a crazy adventure you're on! We'll be praying that God guides you and gives you strength and peace. I imagine throughout the fun firsts, there will eventually come the realizations that friends, family, church family, all things familiar, etc. are a long ways away and that will be tough. God will lead you through! Thanks for letting your life shine like stars by following God's will. What a great place to be!

    -Rob and Stephanie

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  5. I am sooo proud of you guys! Look at where you are! Tailand! Enjoy every moment of it and dedicate every moment of it to God. :)
    Love from MI,
    Jessie

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  6. Yay I am happy to hear everything is going well! To Mike way to do your duty and take care of your wife, I would not expect anything less!
    To the both of you, we(mom and dad and me)are praying for you! Keep learning, growing and having fun! That is most important! Go and take an adventure in your adventure for me!
    Love you both!
    ~Tom

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