So how was your summer?

School started again here yesterday. That means we're all asking each other that inevitable back-to-school question, knowing full well it's impossible to sum up your summer in a couple of sentences.

This summer for us has, in many ways, been a microcosm of the full range of experiences and emotions that go along with a life overseas. Let me try to recap . . . 

One of our children had hard goodbyes at the end of the semester with close friends who were leaving back to their home country; we had wonderful visits from family and friends which filled our whole summer with joy; we got to travel to new places and combined visa runs with relaxing stays on tropical beaches; we experienced frustration in discovering that the immigration laws had changed by the time we got back and my freshly stamped visa suddenly became no longer my best option to work here longterm; we longed to be back in our other home with the news of the loss of a dear Grandad (in UK); we grieved from afar and talked for hours on skype and messenger to stay connected with family in far away places; we cherished the moments with dear ones visiting, knowing that all too soon they would be leaving and cramming as much as we could into that short precious space in time. 

Grandma love at the end of the school year

Auntie Rachael in Vietnam with us - one of the best travelling companions a family could hope for! 

Buying plants in memory of a dear Grandad who loved to tend his beautiful garden.

Reconnecting families - Tina and I haven't had extended time together since our kids were born so their visit was a huge gift for all of us.

So yes, our summer was wonderful . . . . .with sadnesses and stresses mingled in. We felt the distance intensely, especially in the loss of our dear Grandad but also when that distance was breached for a brief window and we got a taste of being with those who are usually so far away. Distance sucks, but one thing is for sure - it certainly makes you cherish the together-time all the more.

Amazingly, thanks to the very generous gifts of some family members, we are going to be able to travel to the UK later this week to attend Grandad's funeral and be with family. That is not something we take for granted with the life decisions we have made so we are very grateful for that.

I leave you with a picture of this dear man, taken earlier this year when he blessed us all with his presence all the way over here in Thailand at the ripe age of 88. We will miss you Grandad. 

Learning to sing

When we were in Ho Chi Minh City, we visited Tao Dan Park a couple of times early in the morning. Amongst all the Vietnamese out doing Tai Chi and other forms of exercise, this park is famous for one cafe on the corner where "birdmen" bring their prized caged birds to learn to sing from other birds.

The birds are strategically placed on the railings to be close to other particularly vocal birds and far away from humans who interfere with their capacity to sing apparently. We discovered this after we got a little close to some of them and were briskly waved away by the owners. The birdmen can be quite protective of their songbird and seem to pay a lot of attention  - providing morsels of food, moving them occasionally to a different spot, making sure no annoying foreigner gets too close and staring at their bird incessantly.

We discovered later the reason for the vigilance - some of these birds are apparently worth a lot of money. Birdsong competitions are held throughout Ho Chi Minh and owners of the most talented songbirds can rake in significant cash. This also explains the pride and self-gratification on the faces of the mostly older men as they showed off their prized possession to the rookies.

All in all, it was quite a unique and surreal experience to observe.  The sound was beautiful as you can imagine but  the dedication and care of the owners was the most fascinating.

It has made me reflect on the many times I too have been been brought to a place of learning and growth in specific skills or traits that I lacked. In His great wisdom my own dedicated Birdman has led me to those who could model for me what I could not learn by myself. 

I think of a dear friend who taught me to stop and rest when I was 17 and overstressed; I think of my sister who's joy for life always reminds me to take life lightly and to find the wonder in the ordinary; I think of the faith that was built during my first missions experience after college due mostly to the bold faith of those around me; and I think of many dear friends including my husband who's qualities I admire and learn from every day. I'm so thankful for each of those songbirds that have brought beauty to my life and for the One who has hung my cage beside theirs for a season so I could absorb and soak up their song.

As the morning wound down in Tao Dan Park, most of the  men decided their bird had had enough learning for today and gently covered the cages with a dark cloth, removing them from the courtyard. 

It was time to take them home to rest . . . . maybe the bird needed some peace and quiet to absorb what he had just heard or maybe the owner just had to get to work for the day . . . . . but the beautiful chorus died down and the railings were emptied until another morning. I think I'm a bird who would prefer to hang with other birds all day, but I need that space too, to reflect on what I'm learning and to incorporate those new songs into my own life. 

Where are you today? What are the birdsongs that you are learning? And do you see the Birdman gently leading you with just as much as you can handle for the day? Join me as I look for the songbirds around me today and thank God for them.

An important piece of paper - part 1

One of the challenging things about being a trailing spouse in this move to Thailand was that whilst Tyler had a work permit from the get-go, my immigration status was purely "dependent" - meaning not allowed to work or even volunteer. My pursuit of work here with Thai Village has therefore also entailed the rather longwinded and at times overwhelming process of securing a work permit. Oh the joys of immigration paperwork for those of us who choose to live overseas!

As an initial step in this process, I first had to cancel my dependent visa linked to Tyler's job, leave Thailand and re-enter on a volunteer visa. I am hence writing from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where a visit to the Thai consulate here this week has ticked off this first important step.

It was a fairly straightforward process but not without some of the typical idiosyncrasies of carrying out tasks in an unknown country. With all my paperwork already gathered, the only piece I needed to complete in Vietnam was finding some US dollars to pay the application fee. Interestingly enough, dollars are quite readily accepted here, but apparently, not that easy to get hold of. After a couple of failed attempts at banks, I was told, they could only be found at the gold exchange shop in the local market! 

Hoping we wouldn't actually have to pay in gold, we set off and found a lady who was very happy to take my Thai baht in exchange at a fairly hefty commission. She used up 2 pages in her notebook explaining how she got to her final number in very broken English and I left a little confused but with the precious greenbacks in my wallet.

Spot me in the bottom right-hand corner negotiating with the gold exchange lady

We then got a taxi to the consulate which was sadly the ONLY taxi ride in Vietnam so far that has been less than a pleasant experience. Pretty sure there was some slight of hand in the exchange of money and then he dropped us, not exactly where we wanted to be. Thankfully, we found a lovely lady on a scooter who spoke good English and she not only pointed us in the right direction but led us there on her scooter, with us running behind at a pace in the 35 degree heat!

After we found the consulate, the rest of the process was without event. The small room inside the gate felt like strangely familiar surroundings, with pictures of the Thai royalty and photos of Thailand all around. It's funny how you don't notice how much a place is familiar until you're out of it in a totally new and unfamiliar country. Vietnam has reminded me how far we have come in settling in to Thailand!

Anyway, that is the end of the immigration process for now. The next stage starts when we get back to Thailand and have to extend the initial 3 months visa and apply for the actual work permit. Part 2 will come later if it has any twists and turns of interest - which I imagine it might.

For now, here's a few photos of Vietnam which we are thoroughly enjoying. I have to say that that one taxi driver was the absolute exception to the norm in terms of kindness and friendliness of the people here. We have encountered so many lovely people, from the random scooter riders who shouted out "Welcome to Saigon" as they passed us on the street, to a family in the park who invited us to play badminton with them and the many many eager English students who have wanted to practice their English with us.

We chatted to this group of university students in the park for about 45 minutes

The food of course is also absolutely delicious, especially the pho noodle soup and the banhmi (French baguettes with an Asian twist).

This lovely lady is usually conveniently parked right outside our hotel so her banhmi have become a cheap and delicious daily lunch. She even has pate and serves it with soy sauce and chillies. 

More French influence at the impressive Opera House

Chinese influence at the taoist temple, Jade Emperor Pagoda

There has been so much to absorb in this city. We have learned about the war and the country's longterm recovery efforts. We have negotiated the HCMC traffic and found that scooters here use the pavement as much as the road which makes walking an interesting challenge! We have strolled through the beautiful parks and appreciated the green in an otherwise bustling city.

Tending the gardens

. . . . and enjoying the gardens - the parks are a hive of activity at morning and evening with da cau (Vietnamese foot shuttlecock game) and badminton being the most popular activities.

Overall, we have loved our few days here and we're so glad we came. Whilst I'm really glad to have my volunteer visa in the bag, there is much more we will take from Ho Chi Minh City than just this important piece of paper. Hope you enjoyed this little taste. I highly recommend Vietnam if you ever need to do a border run from Thailand!

Jai yen yen

One of the common phrases you hear here in Thailand is "jai yen yen" - literally "cool heart". The ability to keep your cool is highly valued in Thai culture and Thais very rarely let their anger or impatience show.

The phrase "Jai yen yen" is frequently used to mean "take it easy" or "chill out" but it also encompasses a whole philosophy of life for Thai people - consideration and respect for others manifested in an avoidance of confrontation or expression of negative emotions. Basically, if there is a storm brewing in you, you keep it to yourself and don't let the clouds burst.

Rainy season clouds, Chiang Mai

I am not naturally "jai yen" at the best of times . . . . . and recently even less so - maybe because I am hitting that wonderful midlife hormonal imbalance, or maybe because we are moving this week (more about this in another post) or maybe because my kids are now out of school and adjusting to being together all day!

Anyway, I admire the Thai ability to stay cool and composed in stressful situations, to smile even when they're annoyed and to control the storm brewing within. Whilst I don't necessarily think that holding in one's emotions is healthy, I know that self-control is a good thing, a gift of His spirit and something I want more of in my life. 

Plant pot "jai yen", Wat Phakao, Chiang Mai

It has got me reflecting on my experience of different cultures around the world, and how there is such diversity in the varied strengths of people groups and cultures. 

When I lived in America, I remember being amazed at the generosity of the American people - to varying degrees of course but I think that generosity is a value esteemed in American culture and one which I have admired and learned from. In Mexico, it was their joy that stood out, their capacity to celebrate no matter what the circumstances and always with flare and color! And then I think of my own culture and the loyalty and faithfulness of Brits, who might be slow to warm to you, but once they're with you, they're with you for life!

Self-control, joy, generosity and faithfulness - all of these are manifestations of God's Spirit in a person, and in His wisdom, He has spread these gifts widely amongst the cultures and the peoples of the world. I don't believe any one culture has a monopoly on the character of Jesus or even that the fullness of His grace can be experienced inside any one culture alone. We have so much to learn from one another and a whole lot of His beauty to be discovered in those who are different to us. 

I'm grateful to have lived in each of these places and to know friends from these cultures (and more) who teach me what it means to live according to the Spirit. And this week, I'm thankful for Thailand and their "jai yen yen" lifestyle which I get to observe and learn from on a daily basis. I know I have a long way to go in mastering self-control. . . .  so I think I might need to stay for a few years yet!