My mom came to visit a couple of weeks ago - and as she was leaving I made a quick request of her to type up some of her thoughts about her time here. I love the thought that Bret and I have KIND OF gotten used to some of the wacky things that go on here, but visitors get to experience this wackiness for the first time. So here are her thoughts (p.s. I was glad she wasn't here last night when the power went off, as Bret was in the shower and I was brushing my teeth while standing on the toilet seat because I had just seen the biggest cockroach I've ever seen in my life right next to my foot and had to leap for my life to higher ground. What followed was pretty unbelievable. At least she didn't have to experience that!)
Anyway....take it away mom....
Thailand is what I would name “The Land of Sensory Overload”!
Let me describe the visual overload of what, to me, was Road Chaos (meaning: a state of utter confusion)- which drivers, using all types of travel, weren’t bothered by at all – including my driver- but which caused Me to ride mostly with my eyes tightly closed while praying.
Picture mo-peds, motorbikes, automobiles of all sorts, tuk-tuks ( 3 wheeled motorcycle with a small “cabin” for driver and 2 or 3 passengers), songtaews (red, covered pick-up trucks with 2 rows of bench seating in the bed and the back open) used as busses, these are Everywhere, pick-up trucks with beds full of goods – food, baskets, mattresses, anything you can imagine – usually stacked 3 times the height of the truck itself, or full of people.
& no rules – there may be some in a book somewhere but not noticeable on the road. A two lane one-way road usually has at least 3 vehicles abreast with numerous motorbikes manueveering around them-quickly. When everyone finally stops at an intersection with a traffic light (no hurry – a red light doesn’t necessarily mean “right away”) 40 mo-peds or motorbikes will continue to filter through the autos & trucks so that at the green light they can shoot out first. Every intersection is full of them. They never stop interweaving- at 45 mph. By the way, pedestrian right-of-way does not exist- to cross the street you must look for a gap and run!
Color and crowds are next- Soo many people – throngs at every market – especially the Night Market when vendors fill the streets with stalls on wheels and where you can find all kinds of amazing things! & your concept of “a good deal” is forever skewed by the thought “In Thailand this would be $3”.
recliners along the sidewalk for street massages; fabric “stores” so full that one wrong move can bring down an instant avalanche of color;
food markets where every part of the pig is displayed and available – snout, ears & all; & vegetables you’ve never seen nor tasted & delicious fruits – especially mango! But many I’d never seen.
We were fortunate to be there to celebrate Thai New Year – where else in the world is the New Year celebrated for 4 days – with a national water fight? Streets (& roads – we were sprayed all the way up the muntain in tiny villages!) are lined with people of all ages armed with buckets, hoses, water bazookas, aimed at any one who happened by uncovered. We were blasted thru the open back of the songtaew we unwittingly rode downtown- but mostly we rode in a locked car (unlocked cars were in danger of having the door opened by a smiling water thrower).
Other random reflections:
- The heat – that melts make-up immediately and drenches clothing within minutes (This Was the hot season after all);
- Tiny napkins – about a 4th of what we are used to;
- The streets being swept with wide straw brooms;
- Rice, rice, rice – along with interesting delicious spices;
- Ice cream wrapped in a slice of white bread - from a street vendor– so refreshing;
- Smiles, smiles, smiles; everyone in Thailand is friendly!
- The Pottery Barn that is really a barn;
- Truck loads of baby pineapples;
- Mountain roads which seemed to always lead to a huge image of Buddha;
- A wide variety of rest room facilities – the new-to-us custom of always having toilet paper in a pocket;
- The beautiful mountain tribal people we worshipped with on the mountain – their smiles, beautiful children with black, black hair and brown brown eyes; the enthusiastic singing of praise songs in 3 languages simultaneously, the mountain goats with their herder wandering into our Bible story;
- The gecko on my bed in the mountain lodge;
- Monks’ bright orange togas piled on the ground beside the waterfall.
A highlight – visiting the school where Lindsay and Bret have taught this year, meeting the people who are serving God by teaching His workers’ children; hearing over and over how the Hardins had blessed lives every day.
&I still have a bit of Thailand with me – I’m gathering all these thoughts at 3:00 in the a.m. because, though this is my 4th day back, my body is telling me that it is 2 o’clock in the afternoon! Hopefully I’ll lose that connection with Thailand soon!
What a joy and blessing was my Time in Thailand!
