I have internet for today
I have internet, but in order to use less time online (I am paying 5 baht per 10 min... not bad, but I still like to save money) I typed up this entry offline and I am inserting it now... as a result, no responses to your lovely comments.
So without further ado (how do you spell that word?) here is today's entry
A couple of days have passed since I last wrote on this blog, but I have found an opportunity to use the internet once again.
I believe I left off telling about Sunday. For lunch on Sunday, we went to a restaurant by the Mekong river. We ordered a couple coconuts. When I think of coconuts, I usually think of the round brown things you see on television, but actually, that part is the “pit” of the fruit. The coconuts we ordered were the full fruit, but part of the bottom had been cut off so that it wouldn’t roll away, and then the top was cut off so that you could stick a straw inside and drink from it. After you finished drinking, you took it back, and they cut the whole thing in half so that you could eat the white stuff. I tried both drinking the “juice” and tasting the “white stuff” and decided I don’t care for it. (I never really did like coconut). Jay ordered a couple partially developed duck eggs. I couldn’t quite bring myself to try one, even though Jay said they taste just like normal eggs with a different texture. (I am sure most of what I think is gross and not gross is based on my culture. If I had grown up eating these things, it would be no problem.) Our meal was more normal Lao food—sticky rice, chicken, and papaya salad. (which I probably shouldn’t have eaten… it is my guess that it was that or something else at the restaurant that caused me my first stomach problems of the trip. Monday I had diarrhea, (is that appropriate to mention on this site? Jay and the rest of his family talk about it so casually that I am used to it, and it might be quite crude to mention it to the public on the internet. Maybe I should just say, “I had stomach problems on Monday” but that wouldn’t explain it all, because I haven’t had diarrhea since Monday, but I have had stomach problems.) Anyhow, on Monday, I didn’t feel too bad all day, but in the evening before we got a chance to eat supper, I started to feel really sick… I almost vomited (another thing that may be too gross to mention on this web site) and then I felt really weak. I went up to my room and fell asleep until 8:00 AM (skipping supper and sleeping for 13 hours straight) I woke up much refreshed. Since Monday, I have had stomach discomfort (without any of the disgusting symptoms) off and on. Jay said that I might just have “stomach discomfort” the rest of my stay… because the food is different, and there are different bacteria, etc. (that would be a bother, but there’s not much you can do about that) But for those of you who might be concerned for me to the point of worry, please do not worry too much, because it is mostly just discomfort, and not misery. One more interesting thing that is slightly connected to my stomach discomfort is that I might already be missing American food. (Ya, I know… it probably sounds really wimpy to some of you… but I am being honest, so don’t criticize me too harshly) On June first I wrote in my Journal, “I am getting tired of Lao food—it all tastes quite the same.” And then the last couple days I have experienced something I don’t experience very often… I have not felt like eating. (not all the time, but some times) I don’t know if it is because I am tired of the food, or my stomach problems or what, but it is kind of annoying. One of the things, might be affecting me is the way my stomach has hurt recently. The aching feels a lot like the pain I feel when I am hungry, but it isn’t… it is quite deceiving.
I will just quick tell you about the Sauna. Sauna is something big in Finland (Finland is a very cool country… especially in the winter… it is quite far north). Jay was telling me that it is a big social event to invite friends to the house, have the men go to the sauna and fellowship, and then have the women go to the sauna and fellowship, and then eat supper together after that. Monday evening we used the sauna Jay had created in the back yard. I have never experienced a really sauna. (There have been sauna’s at motel’s swimming pools, but I have never really sat in them for any real amount of time, and now comparing that to this, those were nothing) The heat was so very intense, and then when you pour water on the rocks the temperature is mo9re intense (Jay explained it to me… it doesn’t actually get “hotter” the air is just filled with steam, and so it is more dense… the denser something is, the better it conducts heat… that is why you can hurt your hand on an something Iron that is left in the sun, but a piece of wood in the same sunlight is fine to touch) It felt very good, and when we came out, it even made Laos feel cool. Unfortunately, it was that night that I wasn’t feeling well and went to bed early, so I didn’t enjoy the sauna as much as I could have.
Tuesday we ate Lao food at the house of one of Jay’s friends, Umca. And Umca’s wife talked to me about working with the English teachers at the biggest school in Sawannakhet… helping them improve their English. We agreed on 8-9 AM every day (unless I find I am too exhausted from the other teaching I do, and I want to change to less times a week… I don’t think I will need to) It sounds like a great opportunity, but at the same time, I kind of wonder what in the world I am getting myself into.
Tuesday night we were on the other side of the Mekong. The difference between Laos and Thailand is quite different. Based on living conditions, cleanliness, and how much money people have, Thailand is far more developed. You can immediately see the difference between the two countries… even though the culture is similar. That night we went to Lotus (a walmart-like store) and ate at a restaurant there: Pizza Company. It was wonderful eating familiar food… although it wasn’t quite the same… one of the pizzas had Mayonnaise on it… that was a little strange.
That evening, before going to the house that Jay and Milka have there in Mukdahan (the name of the city) we stopped at a Milk bar. (something I have never seen in America) I didn’t have any milk, because I am not a fan of milk… but I thought it was an interesting thing to mention.
I have greatly enjoyed my times talking with Jay. We are quite similar in some ways (like our curiosity about how everything works, and our enjoyment of learning, and so I often get to hear how things work without ever asking, and sometimes we will discuss how things work until we figure out an explanation) One of the things we both enjoy is the web site http://www.howstuffworks.com/ we both think it is so much fun, and we talk about the things we read there. (I would just like to take this moment to thank Elise Glanzer and Aaron Phoenix who introduced me to howstuffworks. You guys are awesome!) So I quite enjoy spending time with Jay… it is too bad he is leaving for Finland. Wednesday we drove from Mukdahan to Bangkok (quite a long drive… starting at 9:00 arriving at Maybe 4:30 or 5:00… I didn’t check my watch, so I am not certain.) The car ride was full of philosophical conversations. Another thing… what about forgiveness… what does it mean? If you were the president and a person murdered your mother, would you forgive him? Would you pardon him? (that is, set him free) What is forgiveness? Is it something emotional? Something inside you that no one can see. Is it equal with absolving someone of guilt. If it is, would you let your mother’s murderer go free from Jail? Our conclusion on forgiveness is that there are two parts. 1) The internal emotional release you have when you have “forgiven” someone, and 2) repentance followed by forgiveness. You can forgive someone in your heart, but until he repents, there is no true forgiveness. When there is repentance followed by forgiveness, there is a restoring of relationship, and an absolving of all guilt.
It takes so long to write everything. I think I will write more later… I need to tell you about yesterday evening in Bangkok, but I will leave you hanging for now. I don’t know when I will next have internet. Farewell until then.
-Luke
So without further ado (how do you spell that word?) here is today's entry
A couple of days have passed since I last wrote on this blog, but I have found an opportunity to use the internet once again.
I believe I left off telling about Sunday. For lunch on Sunday, we went to a restaurant by the Mekong river. We ordered a couple coconuts. When I think of coconuts, I usually think of the round brown things you see on television, but actually, that part is the “pit” of the fruit. The coconuts we ordered were the full fruit, but part of the bottom had been cut off so that it wouldn’t roll away, and then the top was cut off so that you could stick a straw inside and drink from it. After you finished drinking, you took it back, and they cut the whole thing in half so that you could eat the white stuff. I tried both drinking the “juice” and tasting the “white stuff” and decided I don’t care for it. (I never really did like coconut). Jay ordered a couple partially developed duck eggs. I couldn’t quite bring myself to try one, even though Jay said they taste just like normal eggs with a different texture. (I am sure most of what I think is gross and not gross is based on my culture. If I had grown up eating these things, it would be no problem.) Our meal was more normal Lao food—sticky rice, chicken, and papaya salad. (which I probably shouldn’t have eaten… it is my guess that it was that or something else at the restaurant that caused me my first stomach problems of the trip. Monday I had diarrhea, (is that appropriate to mention on this site? Jay and the rest of his family talk about it so casually that I am used to it, and it might be quite crude to mention it to the public on the internet. Maybe I should just say, “I had stomach problems on Monday” but that wouldn’t explain it all, because I haven’t had diarrhea since Monday, but I have had stomach problems.) Anyhow, on Monday, I didn’t feel too bad all day, but in the evening before we got a chance to eat supper, I started to feel really sick… I almost vomited (another thing that may be too gross to mention on this web site) and then I felt really weak. I went up to my room and fell asleep until 8:00 AM (skipping supper and sleeping for 13 hours straight) I woke up much refreshed. Since Monday, I have had stomach discomfort (without any of the disgusting symptoms) off and on. Jay said that I might just have “stomach discomfort” the rest of my stay… because the food is different, and there are different bacteria, etc. (that would be a bother, but there’s not much you can do about that) But for those of you who might be concerned for me to the point of worry, please do not worry too much, because it is mostly just discomfort, and not misery. One more interesting thing that is slightly connected to my stomach discomfort is that I might already be missing American food. (Ya, I know… it probably sounds really wimpy to some of you… but I am being honest, so don’t criticize me too harshly) On June first I wrote in my Journal, “I am getting tired of Lao food—it all tastes quite the same.” And then the last couple days I have experienced something I don’t experience very often… I have not felt like eating. (not all the time, but some times) I don’t know if it is because I am tired of the food, or my stomach problems or what, but it is kind of annoying. One of the things, might be affecting me is the way my stomach has hurt recently. The aching feels a lot like the pain I feel when I am hungry, but it isn’t… it is quite deceiving.
I will just quick tell you about the Sauna. Sauna is something big in Finland (Finland is a very cool country… especially in the winter… it is quite far north). Jay was telling me that it is a big social event to invite friends to the house, have the men go to the sauna and fellowship, and then have the women go to the sauna and fellowship, and then eat supper together after that. Monday evening we used the sauna Jay had created in the back yard. I have never experienced a really sauna. (There have been sauna’s at motel’s swimming pools, but I have never really sat in them for any real amount of time, and now comparing that to this, those were nothing) The heat was so very intense, and then when you pour water on the rocks the temperature is mo9re intense (Jay explained it to me… it doesn’t actually get “hotter” the air is just filled with steam, and so it is more dense… the denser something is, the better it conducts heat… that is why you can hurt your hand on an something Iron that is left in the sun, but a piece of wood in the same sunlight is fine to touch) It felt very good, and when we came out, it even made Laos feel cool. Unfortunately, it was that night that I wasn’t feeling well and went to bed early, so I didn’t enjoy the sauna as much as I could have.
Tuesday we ate Lao food at the house of one of Jay’s friends, Umca. And Umca’s wife talked to me about working with the English teachers at the biggest school in Sawannakhet… helping them improve their English. We agreed on 8-9 AM every day (unless I find I am too exhausted from the other teaching I do, and I want to change to less times a week… I don’t think I will need to) It sounds like a great opportunity, but at the same time, I kind of wonder what in the world I am getting myself into.
Tuesday night we were on the other side of the Mekong. The difference between Laos and Thailand is quite different. Based on living conditions, cleanliness, and how much money people have, Thailand is far more developed. You can immediately see the difference between the two countries… even though the culture is similar. That night we went to Lotus (a walmart-like store) and ate at a restaurant there: Pizza Company. It was wonderful eating familiar food… although it wasn’t quite the same… one of the pizzas had Mayonnaise on it… that was a little strange.
That evening, before going to the house that Jay and Milka have there in Mukdahan (the name of the city) we stopped at a Milk bar. (something I have never seen in America) I didn’t have any milk, because I am not a fan of milk… but I thought it was an interesting thing to mention.
I have greatly enjoyed my times talking with Jay. We are quite similar in some ways (like our curiosity about how everything works, and our enjoyment of learning, and so I often get to hear how things work without ever asking, and sometimes we will discuss how things work until we figure out an explanation) One of the things we both enjoy is the web site http://www.howstuffworks.com/ we both think it is so much fun, and we talk about the things we read there. (I would just like to take this moment to thank Elise Glanzer and Aaron Phoenix who introduced me to howstuffworks. You guys are awesome!) So I quite enjoy spending time with Jay… it is too bad he is leaving for Finland. Wednesday we drove from Mukdahan to Bangkok (quite a long drive… starting at 9:00 arriving at Maybe 4:30 or 5:00… I didn’t check my watch, so I am not certain.) The car ride was full of philosophical conversations. Another thing… what about forgiveness… what does it mean? If you were the president and a person murdered your mother, would you forgive him? Would you pardon him? (that is, set him free) What is forgiveness? Is it something emotional? Something inside you that no one can see. Is it equal with absolving someone of guilt. If it is, would you let your mother’s murderer go free from Jail? Our conclusion on forgiveness is that there are two parts. 1) The internal emotional release you have when you have “forgiven” someone, and 2) repentance followed by forgiveness. You can forgive someone in your heart, but until he repents, there is no true forgiveness. When there is repentance followed by forgiveness, there is a restoring of relationship, and an absolving of all guilt.
It takes so long to write everything. I think I will write more later… I need to tell you about yesterday evening in Bangkok, but I will leave you hanging for now. I don’t know when I will next have internet. Farewell until then.
-Luke
4 Comments:
I wish I could remember what those duck eggs are called. Balute, that's what it is. I don't know how to spell it, but that's how you pronounce it. I don't think it's a Thai word, though.
I hope you enjoy your food more in Thailand. What a sad predicament for Luke Storer to be in. Sigh.
It's funny that not only do you and Jay look alike somewhat (in body-type at least) but you think alike to an extent. Fun.
Without even thinking about it, I sort of addressed the whole being-a-leader-and-having-to-choose-how-to-forgive-someone-who-broke-a-law-and-injured-you thing in "Bard." (For those of you who happen to be reading my comment and don't know what I'm talking about, I'm sorry; you'll just have to read the book when I get it published; it's called "Bard, the Singer.") When Alein found out that Hroth had killed his father, he chose two different actions in response. First, as a son and private citizen, he forgave him. Sort of dealt with the emotional side of it. But because he was a king and was dealing with the murderer of a king, he was answerable to more than himself for justice. Justice breaks down if you do not follow the law in all things. So he followed the law and allowed his nobles to judge Hroth, and as judges, it was their place to choose his doom. So, his doom was life and forgiveness, but that's beside the point. A political leader is not a private citizen, and there is a difference between forgiveness and consequences. After all, even our own forgiveness for sin does not wipe away the fact that a penalty had to be paid. God didn't just say, "Oh, forget it." He made sure the penalty was paid. Of course, He did it Himself, but nonetheless, it had to be paid. That's my opinion on the subject as it was formed by writing Bard.
By
Anonymous, at 12:14 PM
I am sorry your stomach has been upset. It is not fun, and I'mnot offended. On a lighter note, it it a little funny to think of you not being hungry. I can't really comprehend that. I'll pray instead of worrying. ;)
I would like to try the duck eggs. I've heard of those before.
"You can forgive someone in your heart, but until he repents, there is no true forgiveness."
I disagree. What if a person is unforgiving towards someone who is dead? There cannot be "true forgiveness" by your definition. I would say that there is not reconciliation of both parties. Which is what you describe in what God does for us. He is reconciled to us through forgiveness.
"When there is repentance followed by forgiveness, there is a restoring of relationship . . . "
"God’s forgiveness is conditional… it is based on confession."
That is an interesting, and true thought. We always think of God's love being unconditional, but love and forgiveness are not necessarily the same.
Take care and have fun teaching.
By
Maggi, at 11:14 PM
I can't believe that you are not hungry, that just sounds too incredible for me to fathom. I'm sorry about you feeling so "down in the dumps" sometimes new food can do that. I could exchange my own stories, but I will not endulge my wishes.(lol) China sounds fun otherwise and I know you must be having a blast. Sad day that the whole internet thing is not exactly good, but it could be worse you could have no internet access at all. Say hi to my roomie for me.
E. Strange
By
Anonymous, at 11:03 AM
Hey! Thanks for the link to your blog. I have been having fun reading - what a great trip! I am rather surprised that you have never had spring rolls, sticky rice, and a few of the other things. I guess the Peckinpaugh's are just very adventurous and eat lots of different foods (Thai is one of our favorites). BTW - the word is not "ado" - it is French and is spelled "adieu" - there you have it! You know me and languages. Know that you are in my prayers and I pray that you have the most incredible summer of your life - so far. :-)
Blessings,
Mrs. Peckinpaugh
By
Anonymous, at 3:37 PM
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