High Noon at the Saloon
Red dirt fills the air as I dismount my ride. Stepping onto the dusty street, I feel eyes on me from all sides. People stare in general astonishment at my appearance once again. Sweat glistens on my forehead as I make my way toward the Saloon. Walking inside, Im greeted by an array of faces, mostly giving me an off-tilt grin. Stepping behind the high table, I’m poured a steaming fresh drink and given an escort….. While it delights me to be able to describe my every Wednesday business with great accuracy and a Western flare, I should back up and give some context. In the corner of Africa I… Read more
Queen Patricia
My work in the village is made up exclusively of the instruction, discipleship, and organizing of recreation of teen girls. Part of the blessing of working with teenagers is once comfortable, they feel free to say just about anything. One specific role I fill is helping girls who score between the 30th and 50th percentile speak better English. Upon my arrival earlier this year that included six girls. I call them my Suubi (hope) girls. Working with these girls three days a week in such an intimate setting with no translator builds such a close bond. I truly enjoy those girls' company… Read more
The Ring
Unfortunately, I am not the wearer of the One Ring found in Tolkien's fantastic adventures, nor am I the one to bear a royal diamond upon my finger. The ring I write about today is neither enchanted nor worth anything other than sentiment, but this ring bears witness. In a dusty, sunlit African church, the preacher was giving a children's message about Joseph becoming second in command over all of Egypt. To immerse the children in the story, He brought two young boys up to play the roles of Pharoh and Joseph. Displaying the power of Pharoh, He slid a ring onto the older boy's hand. The boy's… Read more
Parties and Thobes
Early in the month, I got invited to a friend’s graduation party from law school. She wanted full-arab dress so us Americans went all-out with makeup and our flashiest thobes (full-length Arab dresses). My cousin also happened to be visiting and got to come experience a girls party + barbecue. Many people have not wanted to have big celebrations in solidarity and respect for the war in Gaza, so this was the first true “girls party” I’ve been too! A few weeks earlier, I got to go visit a friend I met in the fall in her hometown for the first time! My roommate and I drove up for Arab brunch… Read moreFar From Home ไกลบ้าน (Klai Baan)
I walked down a corridor in the Thai history museum I was visiting with my language class. The air conditioning made me shiver and I paused as a poster on the wall caught my eye. “In 1907, King Rama V of Thailand traveled to Europe and kept a journal of his visit. He titled the book “Klai Baan,” which means “Far From Home.” I read the title again, frowning. I had learned that phrase in just the past week in school, and I cocked my head in realization that I understood what those words meant without a translation. Far from home. I understood what that meant too. I stood in silence for a moment… Read more
Running out of Water
Recently, I had an experience that reminded me just how dry this country is. In fact, we're one of the most water-poor countries in the world with less than a fifth of the renewable water needed to meet UNICEF’s threshold for severe water scarcity. Neighboring countries provide some water, as they control the river, but aquifers are being depleted and there is still a water deficit every year. Water is brought to buildings weekly and stored usually on the roof in a large white drum. If you run out of water for the week, you might just be out of luck until the next water day. After… Read moreOne Minnesota Girl Against 29 Tropical Roaches
If there’s an award somewhere for “most roaches in bathroom at one time,” I’m sure that I would win. After living in my new apartment in Bangkok, Thailand for just a week, I opened my bathroom door after a long day and immediately shut it after the largest roach I’d ever seen scuttled across my bath mat like it owned the place. I hurried across the street to the 7-11 to buy roach spray, and as I returned and peeked into my bathroom armed with bug poison, I came to the worst conclusion when trying to kill a bug: it had disappeared. Hours passed, and after the scummy creature had finally shown… Read more
6 Months in Country
April 17th marked 6 months on the field! Life recently has held meals with new local friends, taking on new roles, making plans for the future, and discovering new skills. I have felt the growth in my Arabic and seen my ability to hold a conversation and meet my basic needs. The city is feeling more like home, and I’m more settled and comfortable. The arrival of spring’s flowers ushered in a change in perspective as well. After a cold, rainy winter that brought up lots of loneliness and uncertainty, the blooms of spring were a refreshing reminder of the impermanence of life. Just like the… Read more
New Year's Growth
The start of 2024 has been slow and reflective, with lots of cold, rainy days and even more thoughts and questions. This made writing an update a bit challenging. My first thought was, “What even happened last month?” but then I had an even scarier one: “What do I have to show for this month?” I’ve had the imagine of a cocoon on my mind with a little caterpillar essentially turning into goo in there, being broken down into it’s components to be regrown into something new. Maybe it’s the cold weather making me curl up in blankets, but I’ve felt a bit like a caterpillar in a cocoon. So here’s… Read more