1. Halloween in Thailand is a crack up! Okay so you know how kids in the states are always complaining when someone gives them pretzels or something healthy when they go trick or treating, well how bout a nice dose of Nori Seaweed! Not kidding. We had Thai Craft Fair yesterday and at the end, they handed out halloween bags. A piece of chocolate, two chewy candy things, some biscuits (butter crackers), and Nori Seaweed (individually wrapped slices of it). I wouldn't complain too much anymore kids, at least you don't have a bag full of seaweed when you were expecting candy!

2. Thai people always ask where are you going and where have you been. In the western countries we don't ask that. It is personal, and the only time is if we need something and think they may be headed that way or need to let them know about something coming up. More for care than butting into your business. Here, it is "where are you going?" every time you pick up your purse/bag. Even if you are just headed to the restroom..."where are you going?" It is so weird. I am not used to that question all the time. As soon as I get home "Lala, where you been?" You just have to know that it is a Thai thing and you should go along with it. It is the weirdest, nosiest way of life. Nothing is private. Your every moved is watched and talked about!

3.When Thai people want to get together with you, they say okay this day...no time...no place. Nothing. You have a day. Alright, so you might have another piece of info like that you are going shopping or to see a movie, but don't get your hopes up too much, it might not work out the way you think it will. They fly by the seat of their pants...way more than the most spontaneous person I know. They say they'll call you. Oh right okay, so you'll call me and we can chat, but wait, you don't speak any English, and I don't speak Thai, how is that going to work? Life in Thailand is an adventure to say the least.

I will break off from my weekly facts at this point to share a funny story. Although it is way funnier to tell in person, hopefully, you'll get a taste of what adventure in Thailand means....

I was supposed to hang out with one of the ladies today. She is a sweet lady, but only speaks a little English, so my conversations with her have been random English words that I form into my own interpretations and hope for the best.

So we were going shopping today. Shopping with the ladies is fun because they take you to all the markets where things are extra cheap and there are many things to look at and choose from. The head of Rahab, Prai made sure that this lady knew that foreigners need a time and a place in order to meet. We just can't function like Thais. haha. So, Sunday at noon at the CentralWorld/Bts stop...don't worry about what all that means, I understand and that was all that was important. See she had just said that she wanted me to call her when I got to the area and she would tell me where to go. Not much English, remember. I tried to imagine the phone conversation. Nothing good would ever come from that.

So, today after church I made my way to the area I needed to be at. I arrived a little early, so I just wandered around the area until the time came. I went back to the spot and this lady called me. She asked me where I was? I said the meeting spot bts/centralworld. Then, since I was there and she was no where to be seen, I asked where she was. She said Chit Lom. This is an area up the way from where I was, so I said okay I will walk up there. You stay there okay. okay. Simple enough. Yeah, well, I ended up walking back and forth from the area she said she was to the spot we were supposed to meet at 3 times, before I realized that no matter how many times I talked to her on the phone, she wasn't where she was communicating she was. I ended up back at the spot I was originally and sat down. I called her again and said I can't find you, can you come to Centralworld. She said, all of a sudden, oh I am here. I was like oh ok. Where? This place CentralWorld has more than 7 entrances. It is a huge 5 story mall. Our meeting spot is a good place to meet, but get inside the mall and try to find people, it is just hopeless. She said that she was in this store Zen. Luckily, I knew where that was. *It has been 45min at this point!

So, I went to Zen and tried to tell her to go to level 3. She said okay...I am at level 3. Okay where? You have to realize at this point the amount of Thai I can speak and the amount of English that she can speak is very limited. We obviously have had communication problems thusfar. I started to get excited that we would finally find each other. I try to describe where I am and I get out of my element quickly. I end up begging people in the store to help me speak Thai to her. Finally someone takes the phone and tells her where I am. Phew, a sigh of relief. Then, something changes...I understand just enough Thai now to know when things aren't okay. She hands the phone back to me and says that she is somewhere else. She will come here now. What? So, we had been in the same store a second ago. She also says that she is coming here now. Okay, well, that is great, but this place is huge, how am I ever going to find her.

I literally walk out of the store and sit on the floor and want to cry. I have been trying to meet up with her for over an hour now and we can't find each other. I just wanted to go home.

In my moment of no hope I randomly looked up and saw Prai. She was waving at me and coming towards me to say hello. She immediately senses my stress and asks if I am okay. I told her the situation and she immediately calls the lady and fixes it like it was never a problem. The lady had been at another mall down the way called Central as well. Of course, why wouldn't you name all the malls in Thailand central. Please make it easy on all of us.

We finally see each other and I apologize that is was so difficult. She immediately says that she has been waiting for me and hour and a half. All I could say was it was my fault and I was sorry.

So shopping. She drags me to the area where the market is and sees a bag she wants. I'm looking around and she buys the bag and then drags me forward out of the area. Alright, so we won't be shopping there. haha. She asks me what I want to look for. My purse broke yesterday, so I point at it and show her the damage and say "new bag." Okay Okay is her response. Then, her phone rings. She hangs up and starts going on about what I am wearing. All of a sudden she says we go see buddha. What? okay. I assume a temple. Then, she says I need skirt. Oh no, and my shoes aren't good either. Okay, wait, what?, why are we going to see buddha? She takes my hand and off we go. In Thailand it is best to just go with the flow, you pretty much have to, so be relaxed about it. We get across the next street and she looks at me. "okay, we see my apartment," o...kay?! I seriously thought she wanted to take me to her apartment to get some clothing to go see buddha. She is tiny, not like me at all. There would be no way, but remember go with the flow(at least that's what I tell myself all the time). We get to the apartment and she tells me to sit. She pops some food in the microwave and turns on the tv. Now, understand this, my mind is going a million miles an hour trying to figure out what just happened and how our shopping trip just turned into a buddha visit and what are we doing now. I am about to crack from all the stress of the day and she sets a plate of food in front of me. "We eat now," she says. Okay, so we ate and watched tv. She asks what time I need to leave, I don't really have a set time, but I throw out a number to see why she wants to know. "Ok, I show you the way home;" "Okay, we go" she says as she is shaking her hand implying that I come now. Ok, now!?, alright. So she shows me the way and then says that we will go shopping another time and tells me goodnight. haha. I am at a complete loss for words. A day in the life..huh!

I got home and laughed so hard I cried. I couldn't believe the day I had. It was amazing! Only in Thailand would something like that happen. Even though it was nuts, I know that it meant a lot to her that I wanted to do something with her, so I just tried to think of it as a gift to her.

I know this is long, but I just wanted you to experience a real day with Thai people...I have to say it is incredibly stretching. You have to challenge yourself to not get stressed out and freak on them. You have to stay calm and deny every desire you have for the day.

This week was incredibly busy. It wasn't supposed to be, but like I said, you just don't know what to expect. My hair class went really well this week and they got to practice on each other and there were a few gone this week, so I got to work a little more one on one which is always fun. You can really see growth and confidence that way. It was neat.

I spoke of a lady in my last post who was in some trouble and I had seen her at the bar. I found out tuesday night that she is officially working for the bars again. She came up right before we headed out to the bars and said that she was in trouble and needed prayer. I am proud of her for that. That takes a lot in this culture. Thais are all about "saving face." They keep everything bad hidden so they always look good. They won't even ask for help because that would be considered losing face. It would be disgraceful to sink so low as to ask for help. So, she ended up telling us she was working for the bar again and then we all prayed for her. It is so heart breaking to have them go back to the bars. She was actually doing really well at Rahab and we all had high hopes for her, not that we don't still, it is just a fresh wound to us. She is young, only 22, and she has incredible potential, but transitioning out of the bars and the money they make there is difficult. They are willing to sacrifice anything for a little more comfortable life. I now see her sitting outside the bar everyday when I pass. I say hi and ask her how she is, but it is so hard to see her there, knowing what happens to her every night. It makes you sick to your stomach. I still have hope though, I believe that she could get out again!

The rest of my week was showing people around, answering emails and doing lots of hair. I was full everyday working on updating things on the computer and figuring out orders, then I had random hair appointments with foreigners who want a foreign hair dresser. It makes for a large variety every week.

Tomorrow is Loy Krathong. A day where people worship the river god/goddess(I don't remember which). I am going to go see some of the action. They put these elaborate floating creations with flowers and everything on the river as an offering to the river god/goddess. They are really beautiful. A lot have candles. It should be quite a sight apparently thousands participate. Hopefully I can post pictures soon!

Talk to you soon!