the home stretch and the homestead.

After the hustle and bustle of an exam-filled week, the students here at B.G.I.S. have now completed all their assignments and final grades are being recorded. Our last day of school is next Wednesday, a half-day, which will consist of nothing more than an extremely tiring and drawn-out series of productions and presentations for the Kindergarten graduation. This school is extremely unique in several of the ways they do things- certain procedures, protocols, etc.; and honestly, I find it rather entertaining and nothing less than confusing that the last day of the school year is dedicated to nothing other than the Kindergartners graduating. For an entire year, I've seen the Kindergarten class possibly a total of 2 times as a whole. They wander onto the school's campus an hour and 1/2 after school has begun, eat a bunch of snacks, run around in a circle from time to time, and leave before we are dismissed from school each day. And now, the entire school, grades 1-9 will perform various acts in celebration that the youngest tikes of the school have completed their school year. So, my year of teaching grades 3-9 all comes down to a celebration of tiny little students I've never even met, and better yet, we get to sing and dance for them as these mother-goose-loving strangers parade around in their cap and gown regala celebrating their completion of coloring inside the lines.
AWESOME. so, so awesome.

I'm not trying to sound overwhelmingly pesimisstic about this joyous jubilee; rather, I'm just taking it from the realist perspective, honestly and openly admitting that it's absurdity at it's finest. Tiny tikes in gowns or not, Wednesday is our last day of school, and my heart couldn't be more content. Though the challenges have been trying, the ups have have up, and the downs have been down, this year truly has been the greatest year of my existence. So many different aspects of myself have been stretched, and pulled, and twisted in various directions this year that I've somehow come to accomplish things I never thought possible.

As I was punching out at the timeclock yesterday, Pastor Mike asked me if I'd miss Thailand. I honestly didn't know what to say. I feel like my eyes have been so fixed on the prize of returning to my American nest and comfort that the idea of 'missing' Thailand hasn't really entered my mind. I quickly manuevered my emotions through the idea, and responded that I'll undoubtedly miss some of the people- the students with their unique minds and personalities, I'll miss my new community of friends from Newsong (my church here,) and a few trainers I met at my gym here- but I don't know if I'll 'miss' Thailand as a place to live. Transportation is very affordable (pro). Everything is very affordable (BIG pro). The Thai lifestyle is rather depressing (con). The pollution of Bangkok is smothering (con). Everyday feels like a slight emotional struggle (serious con). Therefore, yes- the people I've met over the past year will be missed, but as for Buddha, temples, rice, and dirty, sewage-covered sidewalks- I say I've had my fill for now.

Though I will not be returning to America with an impressive fluency of the Thai langauge, or flashy craftsman skills in basket-weaving, jewelry-making, or of traditional Thai cooking methods, I will be returning to America with much appreciation.

Appreciation for a year survived.
Appreciation for God's protection when I very well should have died a few times (sorry, mom)
...effective communication
...the people God has so lovingly brought into my life.
...the opportunity to try something out-of-the-ordinary.
...the fact that I lived on my own in Asia for an entire year.
...ethnic cuisine
...train tickets
...random bits of the English language that made me feel at home
...scooters
...ten-baht pieces
...a sense of completion
...newfound contenment
...spontaneous trips to countries I never knew anything about prior to coming here
...guesthouses
...handmade Valentines
...random pizza parties with 10 year olds
...nights with nothing but a quiet, empty apartment, a notebook and a pen
...free fruit samples
...the warm smiles of the 7-11 ladies
...a 'dirty' passport
...international phone cards
...The US Postal Service
...calendars

and anticipation for..
...hugging my mom
...warm water
...the chance to sit on a couch for the first time in a year
...a soft mattress
...a dryer
...people over 5ft tall
...the radio
...driving
...highways
...Walmart
...sidewalks
...fresh air
...mountains
...English
...English
...English
...friends
...reunions
...and most of all..my family.

numerically challenged

Asia has morphed me into a slighty obsessive and perpetual counter.

No one, no thing, no being, could ever be further away from being considered "mathematically minded," however, this year in Thailand has transformed my genetics into something-someone, I've never known.

It all started upon my arrival in the land of smiles. Hello, currency conversion.
Rather than thinking in single-digit US dollar prices, things had to become more complicated. 31 Thai baht=1 US dollar.
Inconvient? I'd say so. Try pricing anything...a coffee, a movie ticket, a head of lettuce at the grocery story, a pack of gum, a can of coke in American money..and then, simply just multiply by..oh..you know..31! Afterall, didn't you memorize your 31's tables in elementary school?

Throughout my International travels over the past year (Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam,) I've dealt with this currency conversion with ease. Though, upon arrival in Vietnam, I mistakenly withdrew only $10 from the ATM when I really was expecting $100. Simple math error. Afterall, it's just one digit. I should at least get partial credit for effort if I show my work, right?

The counting progressed.
This progression has taken somewhat of a cancerous state as in the counting has spread to several aspects of my life. When in a hurry and on my own, I count steps (usually stairs).
52 steps from the skytrain to the lower platform.
8 steps (when skipping a stair) to climb to the Mo Chit skytrain.
18 stairs to get to my apartment.
102 steps from my apartment to the sidewalk.

This is a plague. Disregard what you've heard of the bird flu. No birds here.
Just numbers. And lots of them.

But, no no..it doesn't stop here.
I've even been prone to count a certain number of objects when in a crowded area.
For example, when waiting for a cab, I count how many pink taxis pass by- or, depending on the mood, maybe I'll even count only the green taxis. Or, possibly, tally as many people I see wearing white shirts- and sometimes, to humor myself, how many transexuals I see walk by (that one is always entertaining). Really I just like to switch it up...ya know, keep everyone guessing. And, what do I do with such useful information? Nothing. Nada. When I reach my quota (usually try to make it to some number divisble by 25,) I decide to move on to a new object to count, or, Lord willing, another hobby to occupy my crazed mind.

Though counting stairs, taxis, outfits, and transexuals is nothing but a complete waste of time- there is one countdown that I will not give up on, nor consider anything short of extremely crucial to my existence-

38 days until my plane leaves Bangkok for America.