Motorcycles to Parasailing!!!!

Okay, today after lying by the pool for a long time watching the crystal clear water ahead of us, we noticed parasailers go by. it was on both of our minds to check it out. i've always wanted to do it but never have. i think i've put this pressure on myself that i have to do it in a really cool place to make it worthwhile. i think Phuket, Thailand counts! the price was incredible, so i signed up immediately for it. i watched the people lift off the sand and fly up in the air one by one to see if it was safe here. i totally agreed to do it when i realized a thai guy jumps on top and rides it with you. that way i didn't have to worry about steering it. i knew that could cause issues! :) i went first and then julie went after me. mom, i know you are saying, "my child..." it was awesome and maybe just a prep for what we can do in NZ. they have some serious adrenaline rush adventures in NZ like skydiving, riding in hot air balloons, and bungee jumping. hmmm, i'm excited to see...

it's all a faith walk for sure!

well, when we decided to parasail, we didn't have enough money on us, so the parasail guys offered to let us both go and then they would let us pay after we parasailed. they gave us a ride on their motorcycles to the hotel. the hotel was only four buildings away, so my rush on a motorcycle was short-lived. everyone rides motos here, even the nurses and nurse aids back at the clinic. i was even asked to go to one of the villages this past month with bruce on a motorcycle up a mountain. thankfully, we took the car. but we got a taste of it today. what a day! to finish off the night, we went around the island and ate in a village famous for seafood while you sit on the beach. we walked in the restaraunt and there were tanks of water filled with crabs and snappers. julie chose a blue crab and i chose a white snapper with ginger and coconut sauce. we literally saw our meal alive before it was sent to the kitchen. we even took pictures with our living food. once it was cooked it was awesome. oh, the thai waiters were hilarious! when i asked which of two items on the menu was the best, she just wrote both down and said, okay, thank you. uhh, language issues again! then we ordered dessert... and that was next to impossible. julie wanted a banana split but had to choose three types of ice cream. it took forever to find out how many scoops there were on it. finally, i mastered the technique of communicating!!!!!!! you don't pronounce things as you would as an american, but as a thai person would, then they can understand your english. for example, "VANILLA" was getting us no where. he could not figure out what we were talking about. finally i said, "WANILLA" and it worked!!!! he said, "oh, wanilla, okay." :) it's the cutest thing ever!

lo and behold, we sat next to a TEXAN! we haven't met any of those in Thailand thus far. he was actually working in Japan and on vacation down here.

it's been really special to be here as a tourist now after knowing how to speak some Thai and respect the cultures. it makes traveling here mean so much more. it's as if we are truly trying to invest in their lives and show meaning to our interactions with them while we are here. i'm so glad we do know some thai, it has really shocked several people here today and they have been smiling tons more!

tonight after dinner, we went to the area near our hotel which is really lit up at night with tons of shopping and restaurants. we walked around and met people from Portugal. the best way to communicate with them was in Spanish. that was awesome. here i am in Thailand, talking to Portuguese people in Spanish. crazy! actually one guy was a head of a hospital in Lisbon and we exchanged information, just in case one day maybe we'll go do medical work or a rotation there. You never know why we were supposed to meet them.

after that, i had to pull julie into a place where i heard one of my childhood favorites, "i love rock and roll." it was the most paradoxical experience! we dashed in and finished the song. i was actually up for kareoke, but i haven't seen any places. to my surprise, i looked around and realized the place was maybe irish and the singers were singing american music, but were Thai. everything about the place did not mix, yet it did! it was such a glimpse of how intertwined cultures are in the world and the ability to appreciate each other's cultures. if you closed your eyes, you might not notice anything different. well, maybe a tiny Thai accent. :)

a few days ago i never would have thought i'd be in phuket. i would have thought i'd be in laos. maybe laos can be for another trip. as for this trip, i'm so thankful for God's creativity in arranging our travel plans. NZ will totally be spontaneous. we literally are showing up and will just start driving around. i have a guide book and tips from people that will help. i'm so excited to be absolutely astonished at the beauty i'll see there. maybe i should say awe-stricken! i know it's going to be incredible! i pray we will have purpose there and glorify the Creator of the creation.