A Bridge over River Kwai

Well, a border is a really weird thing. It is weird to feel at home in one place, walk a few paces to the left, and be in a strange place that is as far away from home as possible. We left Cambodia, my home away from home. We entered Thailand and became foreigners again, just another pair of ignorant tourists. The people look the same, the food smells the same, the heat is just as hot....but it's completely foreign. I can't just talk to anyone anymore. I can't make people smile and laugh. Speaking the language is such a valuable commodity that I almost took for granted. If I ever forget why I study linguistics, I will think back to that border crossing. Speech is so valuable. The power to get to know someone, to make them laugh and smile is so important to me. I am trying hard to learn Thai. I can understand quite a bit and I can say a lot because I always spoke with the Thai teachers at the MTC. It's such a fun language...not quite telling any jokes yet, but I'm working on it :)

Well the bus ride to Thailand took us over 16 hours...nice and short, huh? It was a pretty miserable day. The buses were packed and I was sweating up a storm too. I was really looking forward to when we met up with my friend's family. We left Cambodia at seven in the morning and got to Bangkok at eleven at night. It was crazy, but at least I slept well that night.

Ariel's family has been such a blessing to us. Ariel is my friend from BYU and she is from Thailand. Her father is Thai and her mother is American. They have been living here since birth so they definitely know their way around which has been nice. They are so hospitable and have made this trip so great. Mom, we have been eating great and sleeping well...nothing to worry about. My rice diet has now become three big meals during the day. Hopefully I could put on a kilo or two before heading over to India.

These last couple days here have been crazy. Have I fed an elephant with my mouth? Yes. Did I play with tigers earlier today? Yes. Did I jump off the top of a waterfall today? Yes. Am I trying to boast or brag? No.....but I'm so grateful for these unique experiences. Here are a couple pictures....

Making pots baby

These are the cuts on my heel...lookin' good and clean, healing well. In the States I would have gotten stitches, but I trust nature more than these doctors

K so in that first video I was trying to feed an elephant with my mouth. I was totally committed to do it, but then the elephant trainer yelled at me so I freaked out and bailed on the idea lol I was pretty scared but I went for it. The second video are these cute little kids I found in Siem Reap. They followed us around for a few hours because they had never met white guys that spoke Khmer before. Such cute kids. 

I need to get to sleep, we have church in the morning. I just wanted to end this post with a little thought I have been having ever since I got here to Asia. It started when I was about to land in Vietnam and I still think about it. I know that when I am on that plane in a few days to India I will be thinking about it too. It's about flying home, or just simply "going home." There are so many songs written about "going home." There are so many things that talk about "going home" and how good it is. Flying over here I was thinking about the fact that I won't be going home for a few months. I am going to be gone from home and those that I love for five months. I left everything I have (except for a couple crappy T-shirts) to come here. As I was about to land in Vietnam I got pretty nervous and almost uncomfortable. When I was sitting in that little airplane seat I was pretty nervous as I saw Ho Chi Minh's city lights getting closer and closer. I was the opposite of comfortable. All of those feelings that are associated with "going home" were nowhere to be seen or felt. BUT, there were hundreds of Vietnamese people on that plane that were in the exact opposite situation as me.....they WERE going home. All of the feelings that I associate with "going home" were being felt by those sweet people. I may have been far away from my family and friends and loved ones, but they were going back to them. While I was scared and homesick, they were excited and feeling right at home. Husbands were going home to wives. Mothers were going home to excited children. Boyfriends were getting off that plane and getting to hug their girlfriends. All of those feelings I think about, that I miss, were all there, just not for me. When I fly to India I will be even more out of my element. But it's comforting to think that there will be many Indian people on that plane that can't wait to land...that can't wait to see those people waiting for them in the baggage claim. Home is different for all of us. I will have all of those feelings come November 28th, but for now, it's their turn. 

Sincerely, 

Kory