what the baht?

6:30 am and I'm awake... I rose with the sun (probably because I was sweaty in bed).
Found myself a comfortable spot on the roof of our dormitory (there's a balcony type overlook) and sat down with my ipod and bible in my hands.Though the buildings surrounding the dormitory appear only inhabited by flocks of pigeons and cockroaches, there's something beautiful about the sun rising above such an impoverished city.I've seen the sun rise in the islands of the Bahamas..the white sands of Dania beach..above the mountains in Virginia...but this sunrise leaves me speechless. Something so warm, so pure and so beautiful rising above such despair..
Bethany Dillon sings,
"The same sun that
Rises over castles
And welcomes the day

Spills over buildings
Into the streets
Where orphans play"

..that's what I was reminded of this morning on the roof top. I like it up there.

8:30 soon came, and five of us climbed into the taxi heading for the BTS (the bangkok skytran) and went to Siam. Siam is the most Americanized area I've seen. Most of the Thai people there can either understand or speak English..tourist trap I'd say. Though I've only been here for two days, it was almost distrubing to see other white Americans in public as I'm only used to seeing the few teachers here at the school that are American. Hearing English spoken in public was also somewhat odd.

I first exchanged all my American money ($171) for Thai baht..equally 5800. With an exchange rate like that I must admit I feel like I really got a deal. Though less than two hundred dollars to my name seems as though I'm somewhat poor, I'm so RICH here. Oh, baht.. how you serve me well.
(33 baht= 1 US dollar)

So, the purchases I made today:

lunch:
garlic fried rice (aka stinky breath) 23 baht
chinese herbal tea (hot)- 23 baht

a yellow shirt that says "long live the king" with some sort of embroidered elephant (to wear on mondays in honor of the king): 199 baht (NOT a good deal)

a little bit of makeup to cover the dark circles under my eyes called "stay white" (I left ALL of makeup in charlotte): 700 baht
(EXPENSIVE! Only because the makeup I had to buy was imported because all the makeup here is whitening makeup..and this is the least whitening stuff they've got!)

so, i'm saving my baht as I have an entire month before i get paid. so, i either better stop buying stuff, or starve. hmm.. hard choice!

I'm going to look for a ministry outside of school to get involved with. I'm like to find something to do with a woman's ministry or ministering to those affected by the sex trade industry here- something of eternal worth and purpose, that's all i ask!

Karaoke tonight. oh my word..i can't wait.
school training starts next wednesday, and after that- no more fun and games.

7-11 is huge around here. they have dried squid chips and bluberry yogurt soda.
ick!

sawatdee kaa.