I drove Patti’s truck for the first time yesterday. In fact, it was the first time I had ever driven overseas. And, surprisingly, all went well. I only turned into the wrong lane twice! Thankfully, no one was occupying those lanes on either occasion. We drove all the way to the Golden Triangle—which is only about a thirty minute drive at 40 miles per hour—just so we could get some fried chicken at KFC, and search for some more casual clothes for me.
This is a crossover between a how-to about avoiding jet-lag, and a request for your own tips on the subject. I’m leaving for Chiang Rai, Thailand next Tuesday evening. I’ve been to Thailand before, and my idea for avoiding jet-lag on that trip was to sleep the whole way, or at least most of the way. That didn’t work at all! I remember leaving Los Angeles at a little after Midnight local time and going straight to sleep on the plane, sleeping as much as I could while everyone around me stayed awake and chatted or read or ate. Those fools. I woke up numerous times, and forced myself back to sleep. After what seemed like hours of sleep, I woke up just as refreshed as I could be. I hadn’t slept that long in a while! So I glanced at the screen to see how we were making it; I though for sure we’d be nearing Taiwan by now. We were over Midway. That revelation left a terrible, sinking feeling in my gut. What would I do for the next 7 hours?! :o) This time around I’m going with a different plan.
take one…
I’m having a difficult time putting my emotions to words right now. I’ve finally got my tickets for my trip to Thailand, but I don’t want to wait the fifteen days required before I can take off. I’m so excited, yet so anxious at the same time. The most difficult thing for me right now is staying calm and cool while I wait. It’s so easy to fly off the handle when my entire world is about to be turned upside down. I’m frustrated that I have to be here, but it’s so awesome to think that I’m this close. I’ve never been able to explain these emotions to people, except to say don’t let it knock you out of your love walk. There’s no way really to tell what it feels like; you just have to be here. Currently, the cocktail is tipping more toward “anxiousness” than “excitement,” but I can cheer myself up just by thinking of October 10th.
~Jonathan
take two…
They say that a picture can paint a thousand words. When Patti and I first talked about my going to Thailand, I created in my mind an image of what it must be like over there. For all the children, I fabricated faces and voices, and even personality types. I sculpted a portrait for each person I would meet along the way.
Getting ready for my upcoming trip to Thailand, I decided it was time to start learning Mandarin. I mentioned in an earlier article (Living in Foreign Countries) that learning the language is of utmost importance. I took my own advice and got some lessons. Actually, I let Cliff buy them for me as a Christmas present.
I have always had an easy time learning other languages. For me, picking up the accent and the dialect almost comes naturally. When in a conversation with someone I tend to start talking with the same accent they are using, which can be embarrassing if they notice! The worst is emulating a foreign accent. It never fails, if I go into Mr. Wong’s restaurant I am going to talk like him. And then he has a difficult time understanding me. I tell myself every time, “Don’t talk like him. Don’t talk like him. Don’t talk like him.” And what do I end up doing? I talk like Mr. Wong. And it’s a terrible imitation, at that.
You can imagine how quickly I wanted to let Mr. and Mrs. Wong know about the lessons. The very evening I ordered them I suddenly had a hankering for Lo Mein. (Actually, that’s not that unusual.) I was sure to let them know about the lessons, and the fact that I’d be ordering my Lo Mein in Chinese soon enough. They were thrilled to find that I would be taking on such a difficult language. Silently, though, I knew learning Mandarin wouldn’t be that difficult. After all, I pick up languages easily.
A story about my life as a missionary in Thailand.
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