tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54350812011-04-21T20:31:09.192-04:00Donna's Summer 2003 Thailand JournalAn online journal I kept during my first overseas mission experience in Chiang Mai, ThailandDonnanoreply@blogger.comBlogger161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1111779555844825772003-11-27T14:36:00.000-05:002005-03-25T14:39:15.846-05:00To curious bloggers:I actually moved to another blog - feel free to check it out and see what all the fuss is about!Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1058709007849649512003-07-20T09:50:00.000-04:002003-07-20T09:50:07.696-04:00Well, I offically turned down my opportunity to go to graduate school this fall. After a lot of prayer, discussion, and thinking, I decided it was the best decision on many levels. I made the call this past Friday, and though they were disappointed in my decision, they understood and wished me well on whatever I do next. I will also be able to get my deposit for my on campus living back, so Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1058337692502327582003-07-16T02:41:00.000-04:002003-07-16T02:41:32.420-04:00Home again. We got off the plane in Louisville about 6:30pm yesterday (Monday the 14th, EST). I fell asleep about 1:40am last night, only to get up the next day at about 9:00pm. Now it's about 2:00am, and I am wide awake. I hope this jet lag doesn't last too long.. but in the meantime, I am catching up on email and my journal, uninterrupted by slow dial-up connection (not much traffic on an Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1057638687659204562003-07-08T00:31:00.000-04:002003-07-08T00:31:27.656-04:00It's our last week here in Chiang Mai, and of course we are busy, busy, busy. I am trying not to think about leaving this place. There are so many people I've gotten to know, to challenge, and to be challenged by. On one hand, I think that I am ready to see my family and friends again, but another part of me feels like I sort of developed a home away from home here. I wish that my journal Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1057219127678477342003-07-03T03:58:00.000-04:002003-07-03T03:58:47.706-04:00Things have just picked up and flown the last couple of weeks. Today is the first time in almost a week that I have been able to get NEAR a computer, and it's been about two weeks since I last updated. It would be impossible to relay every single event that has happened, but I can try to record the highlights (actually I am having to look at my day planner to remember what has gone on since theDonnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1056344512689102422003-06-23T01:01:00.000-04:002003-07-11T00:11:57.003-04:00Sorry, sorry, sorry for not updating lately. We have had some packed days.. everyone keeps us pretty busy. We actually had our first free afternoon this past Saturday (freshman camp was going on this weekend so we couldn't hang out with the students and make food, etc.). Anyway, I will try to cover the highlights quickly, since I only have about 20 minutes to do this...
Wednesday, June 18:
TheDonnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1055910777906353972003-06-18T00:32:00.000-04:002003-07-05T10:38:35.070-04:00All right, it's Wednesday, halfway through week 3 in Thailand. The time is going by so fast... I wish it would slow down a little. I don't think I'm ready to start thinking about heading back to the States. Ah well.
Okay, so Monday night we went to Kan-tok, the traditional northern Thai dancing/dinner theatre. It was really fun. The dancers were beautiful and talented, and the food was Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1055739733043683132003-06-16T01:02:00.000-04:002003-07-03T04:09:30.710-04:00Wow, what a great weekend! We got to spend some wonderful quality time with our team (all 12 of us from the three campuses). Saturday we students from North Chaing Mai College and Chaing Mai University went to the elephant camp. Elephants are one of my favorite animals, so it was really exciting for me to go. We watched a brief show with some of the elephants as they did some tricks, like Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1055493473457883882003-06-13T04:37:00.000-04:002003-07-11T00:20:39.660-04:00YAY, it's FRIDAY!! This morning Ah-jahn (professor) Jason took us to Ban Thawai, about 15 minutes from the college where lots of northern Thailand woodwork and other crafts are sold. It has become a real tourist trap, but it was really nice, and some of the stuff there was amazing. I took a lot of pictures of the crafts, as well as a couple of shots of the craftsman. One picture I took was ofDonnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1055390793041595832003-06-12T00:06:00.000-04:002003-07-11T00:24:29.260-04:00We are almost through our first week at North Chaing Mai College. Things are getting better all the time. The first couple of days the students wouldn't really talk to us or acknowledge us (we were told that they were shy because they don't speak English very well). However, yesterday was a real turning point. We have been assigned "buddies," which are Thai students who speak exceptionally Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1055228520611922742003-06-10T03:02:00.000-04:002003-07-11T00:31:33.510-04:00Okay, I FINALLY got Blogger to work for me, so I am going to try to enter all of my journal entries from the last few days. I got so busy that I didn't get to write everyday, but I tried to cover everything in my last entry. Here it goes!
6/6/03
So much has been going on the last few days- intense orientation mainly. Yesterday we got a crash course in Thai culture and language. Since I've Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1054821575352903162003-06-05T09:59:00.000-04:002003-07-16T01:50:37.000-04:00Just a little explanation: since the internet is so stinkin slow here and we're paying by the hour, I am going to just copy some of my journal entries from the day before online. Hope everyone is doing all right.. I sort of wish I could talk to my friends back home, but the newness of Thailand is still pretty strong. Please keep praying for us the people here that we are meeting. God be with Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1054714557679559082003-06-04T04:15:00.000-04:002003-06-04T04:15:57.363-04:00Whew! We made it! My team and I arrived in Chaing Mai this afternoon. We were on a plane previous to that for about 24 hrs. The flight from Detroit, Michigan to Tokyo, Japan was the longest (about 12 1/2 hrs), but the flight from Tokyo to Bangkok, Japan felt the longest (only about 6 hrs.. the last flight before we could crash at a hotel in Bangkok). We got about 4hrs of sleep last night beforeDonnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1054491418983397232003-06-01T14:16:00.000-04:002003-06-01T14:16:59.020-04:00Entry #3: Just a few more hours...
I can't believe that we're down to the last few hours before we go. I've been trying to keep myself busy for the last few days so I don't climb the walls anticipating the trip. I am all packed, with a few pounds to spare (See? God DOES still perform miracles today!). The realization that whatever I take over there with me will probably stay there has helped Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1054269315066841492003-05-30T00:35:00.000-04:002003-06-01T12:53:21.796-04:00Entry #2: Food for Thought
Did some more work on my webpage today.. I had forgotten how much work went into it! I'm also having to brush up on my HTML. At least my brother- the computer genius- is here for help. Be sure to check out my site! Below, I am including what I just posted on my "Food for Thought" section. I think it is very pertinent to my Thailand trip, as I continue to ask Donnanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435081.post-1054174365245762002003-05-28T22:12:00.000-04:002003-05-30T00:24:07.243-04:00Entry #1: The Beginning
WOW, talk about getting high-tech... Okay, I discovered this service, Blogger.com, via my old youth pastor (ahem.. "old" to be translated as "former"). Since I don't know how much time I will have this summer to correspond with everyone that contacts me this summer, I figured that this would be a great way for me to let my friends and family know what I'm up to while I'm Donnanoreply@blogger.com0