Chinatown and Dragons...

Another week in Thailand....

Facts for the week:

1. Thais think it is super sexy to have their picture taken while they are eating. It makes for the funniest and most awkward pictures I have ever seen. They love having their picture taken anyway, but if food is around, they will yell "wait, wait" and grab a spoon and dish up some food and eat it right as you snap the picture. They are so weird. haha It is really funny though. If you show them the picture, they will just say "oh yeah, sexy!" haha....wow, in my opinion it is the least attractive I have ever seen them, but that is just my opinion.

2. Thais will write 2 prices on things. One in Thai and one in English. The trick is that the English one is normally much higher than the Thai one. I have learned that it is wise to take a Thai along when I go to the market. They know that foreigners are east to rip off here, so they look at you and smile while they take your money. You would never know that you just paid double if not more for the product.

3. Chulalongkorn Day: This past friday was the celebration of one of Thailand's most revered Kings. They celebrate on the anniversary of his death. It is interesting because they have some celebrations, but it is more of a day to go and worship and bow down to a statue of him. You can travel and watch the ceremony take place, supposedly thousands go to take part in this worship. I didn't go to watch, but I got a nice day off because of it.

This week was a rush. We had many people come to visit and hear more about Rahab. I ended up helping Alex with the powerpoint and answering questions about the organization when each team came in. It is really interesting to hear what people want to know about the industry and what we are doing.

This week, when I went to the bars I took along some of a team that came to visit. It was an interesting experience. Before they were allowed to go with me, I had to make them sign this form stating that they wouldn't get up on the poles and dance and they wouldn't buy alcohol and other such things. It seems funny, but these things have actually happened. It is hard for me to believe. I mean the music is may make you want to sway a bit, but to get up on the stage with all these half-naked women and dance around for fun isn't really the first thing that pops into my head as to what I should be doing when I am there. Unfortunately, a girl that came to visit Rahab decided to get drunk and ended up getting up on the bar stage and dancing on the pole. No joke! At the time there was no standard in place for what could and couldn't happen at the bars, but that soon changed. She couldn't be controlled, so the bar owner had to drag her out. It put a bad rep on Rahab for awhile. Now, everyone, including myself has to sign this form.

This team that came on bar night was really interesting because they were more mature men and women (in their 50s and 60s) and they just didn't listen very well. They tested my patience by continuously asking if the men of the team could come with us to the bars, just to have a look, see what it was like. Now, my thoughts are first 'no absolutely not, Rahab will not allow it, it will jeopardize every bit of trust we have finally rebuilt after the incident above', and second, 'why on earth would you want to put those images in your head.' I mean it is hard enough just walking down the step with all the bouncers shoving pictures in your face, but to actually go into the bars, I just couldn't believe it. So after I finally got things straight, or so I thought, a guy jumps up and ask to sign the form that I told you about above, so he can go to the bars. I mean really people. I have to say I was extremely nervous to take any of their team into the bars at this point. Finally there was an understanding that only the women could go and we would all meet up afterwards. It ended up going pretty well.

I went with some Thai girls that spoke English from the team, which was really neat because they would translate my conversations and really go in depth with the women. These women were pretty solid in their faith, so they eased my mind once we got into the bars. We chatted with a few girls that now recognize me when I come in and I got to know them a little better. We ended up getting to know 5 girls pretty well. It was an exciting night! I hope someday that Rahab can help them get out. They are continuously in my prayers.

Besides lots of teams, we had orders coming in and worked on sorting through lots of things that need to be updated. I began writing a profile for one of the girls and had almost finished when I was asked to go to the bars for our afternoon visit. I saved what I had so far, and went out with the outreach team. Along the way, I saw the girl I was writing about, only, she was working at the bar we were at. I thought it was strange, but some girls have to finish out a month with a bar before they are completely free to leave. I figured this was such a case and dismissed it. I went back and began finishing up on this girl's profile and I realized I needed a conclusion. Before I would write "she is now out of the bars," I decided to ask what was going on with her. To my surprise, Prai immediately said she didn't know that she was back in the bars. I guess that her time with the bars was over and they had let her free. So, why was she back there. I asked Prai if she knew anything about the situation. She said that the girl had called her up the past week and said that she needed to take care of things. Prai asked what and she just said it was a secret and she couldn't tell her, but she would be back to Rahab as soon as she could. None of us know what is going on with her, but I am praying that she will open up about it and get some help. She is taking on something all alone and to be back in the bars is the worst situation she could put herself in. I will keep you all updated, but in the meantime please pray with me that she will come back and receive help! We never want to see our girls go back to those awful places.

It is heartbreaking to watch one of the girls that you were just getting to know, end up back in the bars. It made the week hard to bear. I see her daily hanging outside the bar that she is now working for.

We ended our week with a 3-day weekend. It was so wonderful! After a tough week you feel so drained. All you want to do is sleep and not talk to anyone. The other girls in the house were away at church camp, so it made for a nice weekend alone. Not that I don't want to be with them, but it is nice to relax and not worry about having to spend time with them. So, I ended my week with a relaxing weekend of reading a book on Friday, talking with friends back home, and a little bit of adventure in Bangkok.

On Saturday, I ventured out to Chinatown. It is a river boat ride up a few stops. It was my first time on the river. It was very beautiful and refreshing to be out of the city for a bit. Chinatown is a place that is constantly filled with crowds because Chinese vendors come down and sell merchandise that may only be there once. Everything from pearls to auto parts and tools. It is an extremely inexpensive place to find anything you could ever want. You only need to fight the crowds and slowly walk your way through the many markets. It is a bit of a hassel because there is absolutely no personal space. People are constantly touching you and almost hitting you with the goods they have just purchased. Although I enjoyed seeing all the goods and things it had to offer, it was a bit more like an obstacle course than a shopping experience. Once I finally got back onto the boat to head home I was informed that this was a slow weekend and that that was less than half the people you would normally see there. I can't even begin to imagine what it is really like.

Today, I went to a nearby park. It is a huge area right in the midst of the city that is filled with the cleanest air I have breathed since I left Colorado. It is absolutely stunning, with 3 lakes filled with catfish and coy fish, many gazebos of various Asian architecture, flower gardens, and works of art. It was an escape from the city life, if only for a day. I spent the better part of the afternoon searching for the giant lizards I had heard about. I was about to give up and wasn't paying attention and almost stepped on one. The funny thing was they aren't just giant lizards, they are Komodo dragons. It hissed at me before I smashed part of its tail and I immediately backed off. It wasn't just giant it was 4 feet in length. I was kinda prepared for more like 1 or 2 feet. I ended up walking down the path with it for awhile. They are quite fascinating creatures. They don't even seem to mind that people are right up near them in their living space. He finally veered off the path and I decided to let him be. I walked along for awhile and stumbled upon another one. This one was at least 5 feet and much bigger around than the one before. I snapped a few pics and realized a man was trying to get my attention. Once I looked at him, he pointed behind me. About 10 feet from me was a huge one that was almost 8 feet long. I was absolutely amazed because about 5 feet from him was a family sitting and sunbathing next to the lake. He didn't seem to mind and neither did they. Odd, but I ended up sitting near him myself just curious about what he would do as the day progressed. Not much, unfortunately, he just laid there, soaking up the sun. I left after awhile, it had been a really hot day, and looked like it might pour at any minute, so I figured it was time to head home. I made it just in time for the downpour. When it rains here is isn't gentle by any means, and no amount of rain covering can protect you from the fierce drops.... I ended up settling in for the night with dinner and a movie....

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Laura