Alive and kicking

So here is how it happened…….
A little over a week ago, on a Sunday, I got a headache. I went to church, and as the service progressed I was developing a fever. I went back to my room and slept for most of the day, but the fever was just getting worse. I learned then, that in Thailand, if your fever gets too hot you can choke and die. Not welcomed news. So every 15 minutes I or someone else if I couldn’t keep awake, would scrub my skin with a wet towel. I came to the conclusion then that if a towel starts warming up after just a few seconds on your skin, you are too hot. And I was. I was radiating heat. I could have heated Sarah Palin’s home for a week in mid January, I was that hot.
On Monday, my fever would go up and down, so that evening I went to the clinic. After waiting for, what I believed to be an unusually large amount of time, I saw the doctor. In the end all he did was say it was not far enough to test, but he thought I had dengue fever. He also informed me I should stop letting mosquitoes bite me, as if I letting them feast on my legs for fun.
Tuesday was uneventful till I threw up.
Wednesday morning I went to the hospital to be tested, and yes, I had dengue fever. I was given three different medications, and would have to come in every morning to have my blood drawn (you should have seen how pissed I was). If my “blood count” (still don’t know what it really is) got too low I would have to stay in the hospital.
Thursday morning my body was really weak, I could barely get dressed and make it down the stairs. And by the time I got to the hospital I was put in a wheel chair. I was about to go home after having my blood drawn and meeting with the doctor, but my joints started to hurt and it was decided I would spend the night. It was my first time ever sleeping in a hospital and I was not thrilled.
For the next few days my “blood count” kept going down, my body was really weak, and I couldn’t eat. Because of all that, all I could do was lie in my hospital bed and move to and from the toilet. I was going crazy with boredom, and I think I was getting to the nurses. Not all of them could speak English, but within hours I stopped caring. I would talk to whoever came into the room about whatever came to my mind. For some reason “who’s line is it anyways” and Ricky Gervais were quite prevalent to my mind for those few days.
Finally, after three days and more than a few sing-alongs to “the sound of music,” they were letting me go. One of the nice couples from church gave me a ride back to the house, and from there I went to the pastors’ house.
And that is where I am now. I am in the lovely living room of the pastor’s and his wife’s home. They have been really kind, and are letting me spend a few nights with them. All that is left of my hospital stay are the marks from the IV, my hospital bracelet, and an ugly rash that comes with the fever. I’m eating, drinking, and resting; all is well.
I want to say “thanks” to the people here and back at home. I know many of you were praying for me, and I am really grateful. I thought about everyone while I was in the hospital, and it was encouraging to know that in both Thailand and in the States there were people looking out for me.
Catch you on the flip side.

Today’s bike record: five boys on one bike.

The weekend market is crazy. The stalls are right up beside each other they seem as one almost. Grilled squid sold next to wooden elephants and Pandora bracelets. Tourists and Thais crowd into the small space there is to walk. The Thais stop without warning to look or to buy something, and backing up the throngs of people behind them. Whereas Tourists will attempt to squeeze out of the way, but will give up and stand in the walk way like all the others. The vendors keep their money in buckets in plain sight as if to say “it is easy to take, but I know you wont.” The fruit is so fresh it makes the smoothies taste like nothing I have had before. The pineapple does not taste like pineapple, so juicy and alive. Lights are being set up to get ready for sundown, when things will get even busier, when the final push of people will bring to an end the weekend market.
I am closing up my room. Pulling the windows together, and shutting my doors to the outside. The air is getting warmer, and the street lights will go on any minute. It is only a quarter to seven, but I pull my curtains shut and turning on the fan. I am getting ready for another warm night. Things do not become quieter or more still when the sun goes down, but the heat gives you almost a forced peace. As if to move would disturb the little bit of cool you are holding onto. I fall asleep with my body spread out, and the only thing to move is my head, turning from side to side trying to find a cool spot on the pillow. I can see a building on one of the hills from my window. I believe it is a Buddhist temple, and at night lights line the roof and dot the windows. In the day it will disappear into the trees.

If home is where the heart is, then I'm out of place

Sometimes the homesickness is OK. I can think about home and not miss it too much, or hurt inside. But sometimes, like now, it's really bad. I just finished skyping with my mom for the first time since I got here, and I am missing home like crazy. I'm halfway across the world and all I want is to be with my family and friends. I continue to wake up and expect to be in my bed in Minnesota, but instead I'm in Thailand. And every morning I have to adjust to not being in my bed. This would be easier if I haven't dreamt of home every night since I got here. But I can't help it, I miss home.
I feel guilty saying this because I know how blessed I am. I am in Thailand, I had been looking forward to this for months. The people here are so kind and helpful, translating for me and getting me around when I need it. I know adjusting takes time, I continue to be told of that. But that knowledge does not seem to make things easier, it just makes me wish for that allotted to of adjusting to be over so I can enjoy what I have.
I don't want to complain. I did not start this blog to complain. But I started writing in a sad mood, and this is what you get. I'm sorry everyone.
Catch you on the flip side.

So does karama apply to the four legged kinds? Or is it just the two legged kinds?

The dogs on my street seem to multiply. They wander up and down the road, oblivious to the people around them. Sometimes they bark or fight, but not often. For the most part, the Thais do not put restrictions on the dogs, and I cannot tell if there are any real owners to the dogs. Everyone simply lets them live. This is because they could be someone’s father or sister, their souls having moved on to another being. Most vets do not put dogs down, but will let them die on their own terms.
There are Buddhist temples, all around this city; I hear somewhere here is the biggest Buddha in the world. A claim like that will obviously elicit a visit. I see a smaller Buddha’s up and down the street. They rest outside the houses and under the trees. They sit, content watching the cars and motor bikes speed by. I have taken to doing the same in my free time. I’ll stand on my small balcony and watch the people come and go. Every now and then a street peddler will come by, honking their bike horns to make clear of their presence. They say nothing; just push their carts of brooms and food.
Catch you on the flip side.

No matter where you are, facebook stays the same. Kind of like God.

Here I am in the “land of smiles.”
Let me start off by telling you how legit Korean Air is, they have great service and great entertainment. I spent my first flight with them (over 13 hours) utilizing much of their entertainment because I got no sleep. I do not usually sleep on planes and I think it has something to do with my hatred of them. I have flown various times and it has never gotten better. I am in a constant state of fear; I keep my seatbelt on even when the seatbelt light is of, during every take off and landing I feel I am about to have a heart attack, and the only times I do sleep is at the tail end of whatever last flight I’m on.
But forget about that, I’m in Thailand!
It was raining of and on my first day here, but even with the rain it so beautiful. It is green and lush, the houses all joined together and quant, and it feels like summer (much unlike the winter I left). I arrived at around midnight (noon back at home) and there streets where about as full as they would be in my small Midwestern town. However, come daylight the streets became quite full. I was taken out on a motor bike by one of my housemates, and it scared the crap out of me. How on earth is one expected to menuvor on these roads? I find myself continuing to fight the urge to quote “the Wizard of Oz,” and state I’m “not in Kansas anymore.”
My room here is possibly the same size as the one back home (its hard to tell ‘cause its not crammed with stuff), but unlike at home, I have a living area. So basically I have more room here, and not as much stuff. That is the opposite of the problems I faced at home. Irony anyone? I’m living in, what I understand to be the youth building of the church I have come to see. Everyone here is very friendly and kind, even the kids, whom I cannot understand because of my awful lack of Thai.
The food I have had thus far has been amazing. For my first lunch I had a rice dish, which is, I’m guessing most common in the house. I should have waited for an explanation as to what everything was, but instead I served myself and took too much of what I was later told to be some sort of “spicy taste.” HOLY CRAP! Even my lips where burning. Once I diluted it with a bucket load of rice, it tasted good. I have decided I am going to need to build up to something that spicy. My poor Midwestern taste buds.
I have been informed that I will have a few days to settle in, but past that I am unclear as to what I will be doing.
I hope all is going well in the states. It would be great to hear from you all, so hit me up. Although I must warn you, my internet is very limited so I cannot respond right away.
Catch you on the flip side.

This is it!!!

My bags are packed, I have my ticket and passport, and I've said my goodbyes. This is really happening. This day has been crazy, these past few months have been crazy. In many ways I had the hardest months of my life at the end on 2010. There were a lot of downs that seemed to over-shadow the ups. But through it all I knew I was leaving the country, and I looked forward to that whenever things got bad. And now I'm really leaving!
I am going to miss everyone here. The friends I've had for years and the ones I've gotten close to just recently. I am going to miss my family, and every aspect of being around them all the time. Thinking about this just makes me tear up. My family has been so helpful through everything, from making the decision to take a year off, to getting things packed and ready to go, they have done more than I could have asked for. I am truly blessed.
I also want to say another "thank you" to everyone who has donated towards this trip. I can leave with the peace of mind that my five months will be taken care of. I could not believe how everything came together so well, and I could have done it without having such generous people in my life.
My next post will be from Thailand.
Catch you on the flip side.

We can dream a million dreams, but we live only one life.

I leave in less than a week for the city of Phuket. People continue to ask me if I'm excited, but all I can come up with are nerves. The plane ride by myself, my lack of Thai, being alone in a foreign country for the first time, separate from family and friends for five months. All of these things will be new for me, and you know what they say about the fear of the unknown.
I'm not sure as to when the excitement will set in, maybe when I get there. But until then, I plan to focus on what needs to be done. And there is a lot that needs to get done.
No matter the amount of work I do my list does not seem to shrink. If anything, it grows. At some point I am going to need to call in back up.
My mom comes home tomorrow from an adventure she has had with her sisters, then it is her birthday, then I will ask her for help. I have found there are very few things better than a mother's help.
Well I hope you all are enjoying your January.
Catch you on the flip side.

It’s at the top of my to-don’t list

Happy 2011 everyone! Unfortunately I was asleep and then in the shower for 11:11 1/1/11. And at 11:11 1/11/11 I'll be on a plane!
I'm getting things together for Thailand now, and my to-do list is HUGE and nerve-wrecking. It's hard to now what I should bring for 5 months abroad.
In addition to packing for Thailand, I'll be packing up most of my room. Because after Thailand I'll be getting ready to leave for college. So, I decided to take some pictures of my room before I take it apart.

When I loaded the pictures onto my computer, I realized I already have quite a few pictures of my room. I've put a lot of effort into making my room self expressive and space efficient. I've spent hours on solely my walls, and even more on arranging and rearranging my things until I found something that worked.












Catch you on the flip side.