Settling in to Chiang Rai

It was a five hour drive from Mae Sot to Chiang Mai with a few stops along the way; some at police checkpoints, one refuelling and a couple of toilet stops before we reached Chiang Mai.  Kate and I chatted most of the way while her Karen friend slept on the back seat some of the way.  At the beginning of our journey I was hurriedly contacting the team in Chiang Rai to see if they could change my bus ticket. I wasn’t sure we would get there before 4pm so asked for the later bus at 6pm.  I hadn’t explained myself as clearly as I thought as they had already booked the 4pm bus and sent me a photo of the ticket but later rang back to change it to 6pm.  So now I had two tickets; the 6pm bus arrived after 10pm which was a bit late so I was praying we would get there early.  Kate knew a short cut which took half an hour off our travel, pulling into the bus station just after 3pm.  I checked this was the right station while Kate unloaded my bags.  She too was in good time to meet her friends for the wedding rehearsal that afternoon.  We bid farewell as she left promising to meet up in Perth when she came in October.

Once I found the right bus stand, I waited for the 4pm bus to arrive.  During this time I prayed and asked my prayer warriors to pray that my earlier ticket would be accepted so I could go early.  I really didn’t want to arrive after 10pm.  When the bus pulled up, I showed the earlier ticket to the driver, he labelled my bags and put them in the hold under the bus, asking no questions.  I found my allotted seat, praying that no one else had been given it since it had been cancelled.  People continued to board, found their seat and sat waiting for the departure.  It wasn’t long before we were off with only half a bus full.  I was so relieved my seat hadn’t been given to anyone else and the seat beside me was also empty.  I had plenty of room to spread out.

I contacted Dema and Caroline to let them know I was on the earlier bus and settled in for a quiet ride through the mountains to Chiang Rai.  Part way there I was considering things I might do including the possibility of jogging.  It was then I realised I had left my jogging shoes behind.  At first I thought I’d give them to Don but when he suggested he’d send them up and after I spoke to Carolyn I agreed it was a good idea as I’d be here for 6 weeks.

Dema and Caroline picked me up from the main bus station in Chiang Rai.  Before we left the station, we visited the 7/11 store so that I could buy some milk for my coffee and breakfast.  Because I had arrived unexpectedly early they were not quite prepared for me.  The house had been empty for some months and although the cleaner still came, the bed needed to be made, sheets, pillows and towels needed to be found and when I arrived the fridge needed to be turned on and ice tray filled for my ice coffee in the morning.

Bidding my new friends farewell and thanks for collecting me, I was finally alone.  I unpacked and organised my things, taking out all the cloths that desperately needing washing including my jeans and winter clothes, I knew there would be a washing machine here, having been the home of a large Australian family.  I rearranged the bedroom having turned the air conditioning on to cool the room down.  Then just before bed turned it off and opened the windows to let the fresh air in.  It was a little cooler here at night than in Mae Sot.  It was nearly 10pm when I eventually crawled into bed after a lovely refreshing shower.  I crashed out and slept soundly till 3:30am when a large insect (I thought it was a beetle) grabbed my stomach. I was instantly awake hurling it through the air.  When I turned on the light I couldn’t find it at first then I saw it on the other side of the bed.  It was a huge cockroach.  It crawled onto the spare pillow which I then put in the bathroom and closed the door on it.  You guessed it, I couldn’t get back to sleep after that so stayed awake.  I later hunted down the cockroach and squashed it before I had a lovely quiet time, language study and shower. I had a bit of a shock with the bidet which was so strong it could have given me an enema!

Now up, I took my washing downstairs and started the machine, made my lime water drink and went upstairs to work on my blog before breakfast. I also made some kefir and later my ice coffee.  While in the kitchen I saw someone whipper-snipping the grass out the back garden. I went out and greeted her in Thai and she responded in English, she wasn’t Thai but my neighbour, Temjenlemla from Nagaland (her Thai nick name is Temjai, meaning full heart) who is here learning Thai and helping out with the conversational English classes on Saturday morning which is an outreach from the church.

Around 8:30am Dema and Carolyn returned to discuss what I would like to get involved in while I’m here.  I wanted to spend this first day looking around where I lived, hoping to find some typical Thai street food vendors. We also discussed days I’d like to help out at the Ban Wiang Doem School with conversational English classes. I was very hesitant to call it teaching as I’m not a teacher but they reassured me it was basically choosing a topic and talking about it in very simple English such as the colours, animals, shapes etc.

After they left and in between taking the washing on and off the line due to the sudden short down pours, I was getting hungry so decided to go out and explore.   I just got myself ready to go when, down came the rain again.  Well it is the rainy season! I took my umbrella which I didn’t need for the rain but it did keep the sun off me.  I was very disappointed there were no food stalls except just opposite us on my return a lady was making Som Tum, green papaya salad.  I bought some with sticky rice and two sticks of chicken.  What a disappointment!  It wasn’t the salad I had expected and was used to eating in Bangkok and the chicken was basically all bones!  Oh well at least I had something in my stomach to last me the day.

That evening Temjai drove me to a night market, parking the car at Carolyn’s home.  From here we walked to the market where I bought a stack of things including a precooked noodles dish, pork, pak choi, coriander and a Thai dessert before going across the road to the 7/11 for oil, fish sauce, rice and more milk as I’d used the last lot on my kefir.  After driving with Temjai, who is overly cautious, I felt I should at least give it a go.  I had been concerned about the motor bikes, scooters, bicycles and farm vehicles with trailers but the roads were really very quiet rural roads so felt I should be able to handle it especially as they also drive on the left side of the road as in Australia. I knew the Lord was challenging me to face two fears while I was here; one of driving in unfamiliar surroundings and also the fear of teaching without training or materials.  We are often fearful of unfamiliar territory.

Back at the house I packed away my groceries and wrote up the day’s adventures, trying to keep my eyes open so as not to go to bed too early.  That night I crashed out and slept right the way through till I heard the early morning roosters and birds songs. Wow! I haven’t slept like that for ages! It’s so quiet here compared to the community living in Mae Sot.  I’m starting to miss them already.

This morning I looked for the large water bottle we had ordered as I prefer a large recyclable plastic container to all the smaller disposable bottles.  It was supposed to have been delivered the night before but I hadn’t seen it so messaged Temjai, she later told me she had seen it being delivered so I looked again and found it tucked away beside the front door. Later that morning I was greeted by the cleaning lady who comes three times a week to clean the house.  Together we lifted the heavy water bottle onto the drinking stand.

Carolyn came around after her teaching class at the Ban Wiang Doem School.  I was determined to get into the car to conquer my fears.  I had suggested to Carolyn that I follow her in her car to her home where I could park the car before we went together into Chiang Rai so she could show me around.  At this time of the day it wasn’t so busy; it also meant that Carolyn didn’t need to drive me the 8.3 km back to the house.  There were a few intersections, twists and sharp turns along the way but with a GPS to lead me, and several addresses saved as favourites, I was sure it would be fine.  I had been on this road three times now and had started to remember landmarks as I couldn’t rely on the road signs which were in Thai and although I am beginning to read a little Thai, while driving it was impossible.

While following Carolyn on my first drive I suddenly realised I didn’t have my international drivers licence on me so kept a wary eye out for the police.  Praise the Lord, I arrived at Carolyn’s home and parked the car without any incidents.  Here I met her son Daniel who joined Dema, Carolyn and I for a trip into Chiang Rai.  Actually it was more of a show me around and how to get there.  Our first stop was at the old Big C shopping complex which was being upgraded. This supermarket was the closest to us and not too difficult to get to.  I could also use my card at this supermarket.  We went from here to Central shopping complex which was so much bigger with many different floors and a huge parking complex.  They also had a very large food mall where we stopped for Kaw Soi a northern soup dish similar to the Malaysian Laksa. Three of us ordered the Kaw Soi, special which was a larger serving, it was delicious.

Carolyn and I called in to the Bangkok bank to see if my old bank card was still valid. Unfortunately it wasn’t, I had not left enough money in it to keep it going.  I was disappointed as I’d hoped the interest over 34 years had accrued and I had some more spending money or that I could continue to use the account and put some money in so I could pay via QR code through the app.  Never mind, this time waiting at the bank wasn’t wasted as Carolyn and I got to know each other better.  She wanted to know about my different adventures which had brought me to this point in my life.  We also looked up the name of a Thai Prince (Mom Luang) who had once pursued me for 15 years.  He and I had kept in touch and when I returned to Thailand in 1972 I looked him up. It was during this time he asked me to marry him but I told him I would only marry a Christian.  We remained friends till he died shortly after.  After sharing this story I tried to track down more information about him but with only his surname, Chumsai, it was impossible.

Before leaving the shopping complex we bought hot drinks, I bought a hot chocolate and knowing it’s usually very sweet I asked for no sugar, thinking it would already have some sugar, it didn’t!  Still it was tasty, I’m even considering continuing to have it without any sugar from now on as I enjoyed the bitter chocolate taste.

En route back to the house, we stopped off at the International Christian School Chiang Rai. This is where many Christian workers here in northern Thailand sent their children.  This high school operates on the US school curriculum and school terms; it is mostly run by volunteer with a few local teachers and therefore is much cheaper than the larger international schools elsewhere.  Danial has just completed his final year and has enrolled in a university in Melbourne, Australia, commencing in February, next year.  He will be joining his sister who is also studying in Melbourne.

Back at Carolyn’s home, she showed me around her garden (of course) and gave me some chillies to take home as well as a little pineapple she had been given.  I then punched my address from the saved GPS favourites and headed back to my abode.  I was feeling so much more confident on this return drive and after unpacking my shopping, remembered to put my licence into my purse. Before going to bed that night, I caught up with Temjai to see what she had prepared for the following morning’s English language classes with the local students.  She has three classes every Saturday with different age-groups and wanted me to help out.  I suggested I came for the two later classes where students knew more English, which would make it easier for me to communicate.

 

Photos:  1. Slipper flower – Euphorbia bracteata    2. Dema, house keeper, me and Carolyn,   3. Outside my front door    4. Temjai   5. Me of course

Prayer & Praise Points:

What an amazing God we serve. I am continually amazed by His provision, guidance and grace, especially in facing my fears and settling into a new environment. Praise His Name!

Please continue to pray for the Karen families here in Thailand who are still traumatised from their experiences of being driven out of their homeland.  Pray that those applying for visas to join family abroad will be granted favour. Pray also for their situation here which is very stressful due to the corruption, lack of working status and inability to provide for their families.

Please continue to pray that I will remain safe on the roads here in Chiang Rai as I explore the north of Thailand or just travel from place to place.

Pray that I will overcome my fears and also that my Thai will continue to improve as I practise with the local Thais.

Please continue to pray that the Lord will use me to be a blessing to others while I’m here and that He will complete the work He has started in me.

I am yet to re-apply for my Indonesian visa, please believe with me that it will go through without a hitch and be ready for my arrival on the 27^th July.

Continue to pray for world peace and countries dealing with major disasters, wars and the unbelievable hardships they cause.  Pray for all those caught up in the suffering these events have caused.  Pray that God’s peace may be known by all people especially for those who live with despair, that they will find hope in Christ Jesus.

Please keep my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat, in your prayers.  Pray that they will come to know the love of Jesus.