Songkran

Songkran.

... the funniest festival ever.

... the biggest water fight ever.

... the only time I would ever let a complete stranger rub talcum powder on my face while I wait for the pump to finish at the gas station.

... also the only time I'll think it's fun for more complete strangers to dump a bucket full of ice cold [ARCTIC] water all over me.

... and probably the only time I'll ever ride around downtown in the back of a pickup truck shooting with a water gun aimed at people who don't speak my language.

*Songkran* 

In Thailand, the New Year celebration comes in April, the hottest time of year (although compared to these days, I'm like "late April, you got nothin' on May/month of SAUNA LIVING."  In Chiang Rai, it's currently 90ish degrees outside and it's 10:45 PM.  It feels a lot like a Texas summer, but with 50% humidity and limited air conditioning.  I happen to love it.  It's great for my waves and my plants.  ;)

The Songkran Festival is a time when Thais show honor and respect for their elders (in our school, this means anyone above the age of 50).  They use water as a blessing, and it's poured over the hands or lightly on the back of older people.  It really is neat living in a country that respects their elders and honors them so much.  At some point in the past few decades, this "sprinkling of water" turned into a full-fledged, country-wide water fight.  

See? 

The water fight/sprinkling of blessings lasts for about 5 days.  The picture below was about 3 days after Songkran began in the third week of April.  This was not an uncommon thing to encounter as we pulled up to stoplights.  We actually avoided riding our bikes during Songkran because people stand outside with water hoses and buckets, "blessing" anybody that rides or walks by. 

I'm just glad he had bubbles.

Nellie, Mandy and I headed to downtown Chiang Rai on the official day of Songkran just to see everything and be part of it... in a simple way.  People that we walked by dumped buckets of water over us, and I quickly realized it would be one of those days when I just had to roll with it; I knew the day would end up being fun and would make for great memories.  It was even better than I expected.  

SUPRIIIISE!!! 

We stopped at a coffee shop to have a snack and noticed a truck of farangs (white foreigners) driving by.  Turns out, it was a group of our friends!  They picked us up a little later and we got to "ride the gauntlet" as one of them described it.  This is what it looked like:  

After riding the gauntlet and getting SOAKED TO THE BONE with ice that I swear came from Antarctica, we actually decided we hadn't had enough, so we made some new friends and continued the fun for a few more hours.  
*(picture a block of ice filling a jumbo trashcan, that's literally what they used)

While the day is a fun water fight, it is actually a very spiritual holiday.  Not only are elders given blessings, but Thai Buddhists use this holiday to give alms to the monks, to practice rituals to pay for the sins of their passed away relatives, and many young men and boys enter the process of becoming a monk.  During the week-long celebration of Songkran, Buddhists sprinkle water on their Buddha images as a cleanse.  And, turns out, the talcum powder that was rubbed on our faces at the gas station was actually meant for our "protection to ward off evil" (I did a little research on the Buddhist symbolism of Songkran).  Nellie and I just thought the purpose was to cool us off from the heat.  =p  

Those are my 2nd graders.  :) 

The week before Songkran started, my school did its own celebration.  Our Thai staff planned an excellent day of various Songkran events.  They maintained the cultural significance of the holiday without the influence of Buddhism in it.  


Every child, every parent and every teacher participated in the school-wide water fight at the end of the holiday program, ages 2 to 60+.  What sweet memories.  This doesn't happen everywhere - once again, how grateful I am to be part of this community and to get to spend this year in this country.
  

I couldn't take any more pictures than this, too much water and too much fun to be had!   

Teaser

Stay tuned so I can explain this:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May I Remind You, love

Introduction: 
Thai culture and fun school-related posts are in the works - been writing just a bit at a time.  I wrote this one back in early December.  I've come back to it every now and then because it reminds me of who God is.  May it do the same for you - 

With Love, 
~exposed

p.s.:  please keep in mind that this was 5 months ago....



Choosing to write over sleep.  Without a piano, my laptop keyboard suffices in giving me a therapeutic outlet.

Let's just be real.  How many Adele, Sara Bareilles, Norah Jones and A Fine Frenzy songs can a girl listen to in one night?

Mood:  Mopey. but trying to be cheery.
Music: Norah Jones Jango station
Drink: Decaf Columbian sent by momma

Most days around 3:30 PM, my brain starts to check out.  Teachers don't "clock out," so my brain just mentally "checks out" and becomes this mushy thing that tries to listen some more but really can't.  I usually need a piece of chocolate or a glass of [water], or a good song to remind me that I am just a human, a single girl in her late 20's (always wondered what this would be like) who wants to cook without recipes, laugh till she can't breathe, wear high heels even when it's not practical.
At the end of the school day, my mind, ears, voice and feet stop running like an 8-hour storm has just blown through, and all the wild, windy trees of my own expectations settle.  Everything physical calms down, and I return to just katie, stepping out of the dress I've been wearing all day that I think magically turns me into "Mary Poppins," turning off my theatrical performance as I step off the stage [out of my classroom]... (teaching elementary school really feels like theater sometimes, and it really can be fun even if I'm exhausted).  

kt.  stop living under the pressures of this world.  
BUT I...! 
stop living under the pressures that you put on yourself and come to Me; be freed, lay your burdens down and take Me in, instead, for I am light, and I will give you praise in exchange for your heaviness. 
BUT I...! 
no seriously, stop. 
BUT, BUT...! 


But you WERE fearfully and wonderfully made, you were SKILLFULLY wrought in the depths of the earth.  Psalm 139
...and your form ~ it is lovely.  Song of Solomon 1

I love my new job.  I. love it.  

But regardless of what Self thinks, I am not and cannot be super woman, super teacher, super mom, super daughter, super sister, super friend, freakin' MARY POPPINS everyday, every hour, every time I want to be or try to be or think I need to be.  Sure, I want to live as fully as possible here, I WANT to give and go and grow and learn, I want to take in every little AND big thing that I can.  

... But ya cain't drahve the car 'th no gas in yur tank.  Amen?  

I am constantly learning, and I like that.  (good thing I work in a school) 
I am growing, and I wanted to.  I expected to.  i hoped to.
I am detoxing. 
I was naturally stripped of what I was using to shallowly fill my time when I moved to Thailand. 

For some cheese, a quote from Fleetwood Mac is fitting:  Can I handle the changing ocean tides? 
Can I handle the seasons of my life? 

*shakes head at the cheese.  yet doesn't delete it...*

This time last year, I was planning a wedding with the man of my dreams. 
New dreams happen, it's okay.  
My friends are having babies back in the states as I write this post.  
I wanted babies later, anyway. 
I'm turning 27 in 3 weeks.  ... All of the sudden, It is later.  (or at least it's getting to be)

::sigh::  dear kt.  

You were s k i l l f u l l y made. You are clothed with salvation and covered with robes of righteousness.  Isaiah 61.  Your days were ordained for you, written in God's book before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139.  WITH YOUR GOD, you can scale a wall; your arms can bend a bow of bronze, because He is the flawless Lord.  Psalm 118.  You were worth THE perfect man's death, you are enough, and He delights in you, invites you to come when you thirst, to come to the living waters when you have no money.  And not only to come, but to have wine and milk [almond, please] - to enjoy, to rest, to sustain, to grow.  Isaiah 55.  

While I give thanks to God for the simple [loaded] reminders that I am who He made me to be and need to embrace that, I also give thanks to Amos Lee, for this song:  
(is that sacrilegious?? well whatever, at least I'm thankful)

May I Remind You

Come here my darling
Come on now
You may not be certain
You may not know how

We're all born strangers
This we can see
We may fear each other
But each other we need

So may I remind, love

What is inside you, love 

The rest of the song totally doesn't apply, but that first part's sweet.    

Time really does make you bolder.  
but understanding, too.  

And Christ in me, the hope of glory, has provided and made all that is good.  
Apart from Christ, I have no good thing. 

So to you, mysterious reader - let me remind you, love.  what is inside you, love.  And let me help you 
appreciate 
or recognize 
or b e l i e v e 
that you were created with a good purpose in mind [many good ones], that there is a place whose streams make glad the city of God; where the wells from which you drink hold living water, refreshing-cleansing-fulfilling so that you'll thirst no more, ever again, ever. 

like ever.  ;)  been listening to Taylor Swift on repeat in the car, lately.  I have her new cd Red, 2 Christmas cd's, 1 worship cd and the Mamma Mia soundtrack. true story. 

draw near to Him; He's real.  drink of His cup; it's glorious.  meditate on His word; it is flawless.  

Tomorrow for my Monday morning breakfast, I think I'll start with oatmeal, and I'll add a *spoonful of sugar* (Truvia, of course), and I'll begin class with a cheery good morning song like I always do, 
but this time, I'll remember what is inside me...

Gratefulness 

Gladness 

Joy 

& 

Love.  ;)  

  

Mom & Dad in Thailand

::sigh::  It's good to see you again, Blogger.  ;)


Let's get down to business:

Back in January....

my mom and dad flew to thailand.  

THIS is a BIG deal.  

We had SO MUCH FUN.  We thor'ns, we beez tah-ight, so we had a lot of catching up to do.  Good thing we had this fabulous hotel to enjoy for a week.

Le Meridien Chiang Rai --- same hotel that mixandmatchmama (link to the right) stayed at when her family visited Bachelor Seanzie in Chiang Rai.  i know, don't even get me started again.  Even though I have a house just about 15 minutes down the road from the hotel, I stayed with my parents to maximize time with them.  We started off the week by touring my neighborhood and my favorite places to go, enjoyed dinner at our hotel, Sunday morning with my little home group church, lunch in a tree house (ish), ;) and shopped at the Night Bazaar in downtown Chiang Rai.  

Here's a glimpse of the rest of the week:  (I had some trouble with the format of the pictures.  what's. new.)

This was the moment when I realized, "Wow... my mom and dad are in Thailand."
We drove by the famous Chiang Rai clock tower right on time during it's light display with traditional Northern Thai music playing.

On Monday, mom and dad visited my workplace.
So glad they got to see this dream school.  

My beautiful momma read to my kiddos. 

On Tuesday, we took a long-tail boat up the Maekok River in Chiang Rai to an elephant camp in the Karen Village (perf.).

On a boat in Thailand.  Does it get any better, Dad?  (except maybe if it was a yacht?  ;)  

This was one of my favorite days ever in my life.
Nellie is riding on top of the elephant's head now, by the way.  

If you're wondering how we got this picture, my elephant guide hopped off the elephant and took several [excellent] pictures.  

On Wednesday, we took a taxi up north to Doi Tung, the location of the Queen's garden.  We toured a museum, visited the Queen's mother's house, then only got to see the garden for about 15 minutes.  =/  It started raining.  Bummerrrrrrr, but thankfully it was buy 1 get 1 hh back at the hotel.  s'all good.  =]

Then on Thursday,

Dad's turn reading!  It was International Day at school, so they got to be here for the many talents displayed, international food, special dress clothes and celebrations of all the countries represented at our school.  

On Friday, we flew to Bangkok: 

Our awesome hotel in Bangkok.

W. 

View outside our 12th floor hotel room.
Bangkok is SO BIG, y'all. 

Once again, felt like a dream. 

Learning about Thailand :)

This isn't exactly the famous "floating market," but it is similar.   

We climbed up a [steep] old temple called Wat Arun.
 It is covered in  tile mosaics and was built hundreds of years ago.  

Here we are in front of Wat Arun...  Do you recognize this location from my FIRST DAY in Thailand??  :)
... like my skirt [scarf]?  ;)  Can't wear shorts in a temple. 

Aren't my parents pretty?  We had dinner at the hotel restaurant on the patio.  

Aside from just seeing the sights and experiencing the Thai culture, I needed my mom and dad to come to Thailand to experience this life, to taste the adventure and diversity of living in a different culture, to meet the real people and feel the heart of God for them, to see me thrive in an environment that doesn't include cowboy boots, cocktails and cobblestone roads.  I wanted to them to find out what it is that I love about this country, to see that I am more than okay here in Thailand.  :)  

We had a BLAST, laughed a lot and ate fabulous food the whole week.  

I am so thankful they could visit!!!!!  =)  



 

Bloggerrrrr I miss youuuuu

Prepping for a big day at school tomorrow and all I want to do is BLOG!  

SEE YOU SOOOOONNNN BLOGGERRRRRR~  

=)  

heeyyyyy :) 

praying kids

teachers on Teacher Day - I didn't know I was uploading the "silly" picture.  internet is slow tonight, there's no goin' back, so let my first introduction of the CRICS staff be a silly picture.   can you find MOI?  ;)  I'm making a very "moi" face.  

side yard and backdrop of my beautiful school

ISN'T THIS PRETTY??? 

I only stay at school till sunset so I can take pictures.



kidding.
(this is the view outside my classroom back door!)