Christmas Images and Thoughts

http://beautifulangle.homestead.com/x.html
To read more about Beautiful Angle go to http://beautifulangle.homestead.com/. I saw this image posted when we were briefly in Tacoma some time this past year and took a photo. Beautiful Angle expresses truth and art so powerfully and creatively. Really, if you just ponder this print and don't read anything else of this post, you'll be just fine.

Painting in First Presbyterian Church, Capetown, South Africa
I have a collection of Christmas cards that I have gathered and saved over the years. All of them depict cute little shepherd boys (none over age 10 or so - most under age five.) Shepherd themed cards are always popular but I was struck this year how inaccurate and unrealistic most of these images are. While young boys around the world today are often still responsible for looking after their family's animals, it's not quite the cute picture that most cards portray. The reality of a shepherd's life is that it is tiring, dirty, uncomfortable, lonely and dangerous at times. I'm guessing there were not many cute cherub-like shepherds looking after the sheep that first Christmas night. I imagine they were a little more rough and rugged - a mixture of odd anti-social misfits, young men filled with adolescent angst and antics (you know what teens can get up to when left alone for long periods of time!) lonely and perhaps poor - certainly no one on top of the social network. Yet it is this motley crew that hears the good news first. God in the flesh has arrived. Joy to the world and Peace in spite of what you see around you...Peace. And so the mystery and the scandal begins.

I don't know why the shepherds were chosen to hear the news first. Perhaps everyone else had too much going on and they would have ignored or quickly forgotten the angelic interruption. The shepherds at least had time on their hands to ponder and act. But for whatever reason, the tired, the lonely, the misfit, society's least and last were chosen to hear the good news first. That in and of itself is good news for which I am thankful.

This tin cut out is one of our favorite images (and purchases) that we brought back with us from South Africa. Love the facial expressions when Mary and Joseph realize what the wisemen are bringing as gifts! (A gourd/pumpkin, chicken and traditional stew) Tin Town in Capetown makes all sorts of creative tin gifts and ornaments.

For more information go to http://www.tintown.co.za/profile.html



Whatever your situation this Christmas, whatever state of construction or deconstruction of Christmas, whether you are lonely or surrounded by friends and family, may you also experience peace and joy. Thank you for continuing to wander with us. We've covered some distance this past year together - From Tacoma to Europe to South Africa to Southeast Asia, back to Seattle/Tacoma and now to Durham. The following is a card we sent out recently containing some of our favorite images of this past year. Merry Christmas!

Duncan and Andrea

It's been three months...

I have to admit that I was caught off guard by Advent this year and the opening strains of O Come, O Come Emmanuel a couple Sundays ago. This in spite of sitting in and listening to the Duke Chapel Choir rehearse for The Messiah which they were preparing to perform. Ironically Advent is the time of preparation for Christ's birth – a more than surprising event in and of itself and yet here I was surprised by the very thing that is supposed to prepare us for December 25. Odd, but so timely. As I have experienced the past four months since moving here, I have become even more thankful for the experience of the past year and a half. Thankful and aware of the ways the God has held me well and continues to hold on to me. Yet as I have walked through discouragement, ambivalence and loneliness (all byproducts of moving to a new place and searching for where I fit…building new relationships, looking for work etc.), I have found myself wondering what is going on? When are you going to break through with the answer, God? (Whatever the question is!) I am desperate for Christ's incarnation this year, desperate to have something moved within me, desperate enough to have even pulled out an old daily Meditations of Advent devotional from years ago off the shelf so I can prepare and glean all I can from this season that so often becomes a season of madness here in this country and around the world.

It has been an interesting three months since we last posted. For Andrea, it has meant plunging back into the world of academics – papers, reading, research, group projects…intense…busy…long hours and not too much else. She has enjoyed getting to know her classmates and the wealth of wisdom they bring from their experiences around the world.

While Andrea has wished she had more time on her hands, I have found myself on the other end of the spectrum. It has been a time of hurry up and wait as I have applied for various positions in the mental health field and outside of it. The primary challenge and hurdle has been attempting to get licensed as a professional counselor here in North Carolina. Though I am licensed in Washington and have taken the National Counseling Exam, North Carolina does not have reciprocity with any other state so I have had to apply for licensure here which has been somewhat frustrating to say the least. Long story short, I began the application process as soon as we moved here in August. It took some time to gather my references but eventually I sent off the completed application in mid-October. Three weeks later the licensing board sent my whole application back with the note that all the forms had changed on October 1st (even though there had never been any mention on their website of this coming change!) 'Please start again' – including gathering all new references! Well this was somewhat disheartening but I rallied and my references graciously rallied and resubmitted what they had to do very quickly. Two weeks later the board sends me a letter saying my application is incomplete and missing a particular form EVEN though I had made a copy of everything before I sent it off (again) and there was a copy of this form in the copy I had kept. Now I was a little more distraught as I knew time was ticking. The board only meets quarterly and their December meeting was the following week – so I emailed, faxed and mailed another copy and waited. This past Monday knowing that the board had met last week but not knowing if they had reviewed my application, I called to inquire. The person I talked to said that no the board had not reviewed my application as one of my reference letters had not arrived in on time – ironically it was a reference from two hours away and there is no reason that it shouldn’t have been there with plenty of time except…who knows why. The bigger issue is that the board is saying that the hours of my first two years of counseling experience can’t be counted as they say my supervisor at the time had not been licensend long enough. Well they are partially right, prior to 2001, counselors weren't licensed in Washington state - they were certified (todays equivalent of licensure!) and my supervisor had been certified for many years prior to her supervising me.

So now I am waiting for the next hearing in March! Hopefully by then I will have been able to appeal and explain the situation so that the hours from my first two years count. Without these hours counting (even though I have been licensed and working as a counselor for almost a decade) I won’t be able to counsel here in this state unless I complete those hours again. I have a job offer from one counseling agency but I can't work until I am licensed. Ironically this has all been happening at the same time as I have been hearing about the demise of Sound Youth Counseling where I worked for seven years back in Tacoma. Needless to say it has been discouraging and frustrating and the reason behind my comments above. I/we would appreciate any wisdom, insight and prayers any readers may have regarding this whole situation.

Moving on to more pleasant topics…It hasn’t all been school work and frustration. Together we have been able to experience a few fun activities including exploring a state park (photo to the left and also at the top of this post) literally five minutes away from where we live with my parents when they came to visit in October, going to the State Fair with one of Andrea’s classmates where Andrea indulged in a deep-fried cheeseburger – one of many deep fried delicacies available! A couple weeks ago we visited the Duke Lemur Center which has the largest gathering of Lemurs in the world outside of Madagascar. There are over 200, maybe 300, prosimian primates at the center including the Lemurs from Madagascar, Lorises from Asia and Bushbabies from Africa. This is also where the TV show Zoboomafoo was filmed and is definitely worth a visit if not in person then at http://www.lemur.duke.edu/ (If you do visit, don't forget you have friends close by!) We have also taken advantage of Duke’s music, theater and dance performances which allow students to buy tickets to shows for only $5 each. This is an incredible deal and has allowed us to see some amazing performers from around the world. Highlights included Diane Reeves with Russell Malone and Romero Lubambo, Pianist Murray Perahia and a concert recording of The Hallelujah Train featuring Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade, Brady Blade Jr, Buddy Miller and several others. If you check my Facebook page you’ll see that literally every Friday and Saturday in October was a concert. Amazing and a little too much all at once!

As Andrea has been meeting many people through school, I have had to take some initiative to meet people so I have become more involved with Duke Chapel, teaching a junior high Sunday school class (figured it was my time to give back after all the people who volunteered for me over the years!) and joining a book group where we have read Shane Claiborne’s The Irresistible Revolution. I have also been spending some time with International Students Inc. and their group on Duke’s campus.

And that brings you up to date in a general sort of way. We actually haven’t been able to venture too far away from Durham yet due to Andrea’s school schedule but soon we will be driving to Nashville for a couple days to meet up with a former coworker and to track down all the superstars there! Trying to get a little ‘tender Tennessee’ Christmas spirit. We’ll be back here for Christmas and have a few more posts in mind including one about three famous pigs! Stay tuned. Stay warm (unless you are in the southern hemisphere)! (Photo to the left - the cute but a little creepy Aye-aye at the Lemur Center complete with long bony middle finger that rotates 360 degrees!)

Duncan

Settling In - Initial thoughts and observations about Duke and Durham

In many ways, as many people know, Duke University is an impressive school. (Thus we start off with a very unimpressive photo of Andrea and I entering our town house for the first time - toilet paper in hand! ) Oprah was the commencement speaker this last year. Bill Clinton gave a speech here this summer. Maya Angelou has delivered an opening address at the opening convocation for the past 15 years. Power speaks. (And I haven’t even mentioned the research that goes on here or another local favorite of folks around here called Basketball). But in church on our second Sunday at Duke Chapel, Sam Wells, the Dean of the Chapel, went straight for the heart as he addressed new students telling them they have come to a place of great power – where the three streams of knowledge, money and social influence come together. He went on to say that when we like and approve of this power, we call it wisdom. When we don’t, we call it privilege. Going a little deeper he noted that all Duke students know what privilege is. Either they have rich parents who are paying for it or they have convinced someone else to (or they are going into massive debt – but he didn’t really mention this category!) Either way, Duke students are privileged. Wisdom is a harder and less fashionable word but hopefully wisdom is what students are really trying to achieve while in school. With privilege you often have many choices, but choice without wisdom is useless. Wisdom allows you to make good choices. He then wove this all together quite well with the practicality of Ephesians chapter six. (Aerial photo of Duke Chapel and surrounding countryside. Not taken by me. The following two I did take though.)

So it was good to hear someone speak truthfully to the privileged and powerful. It is good to know that there are those at Duke who are not all about rank and name. Andrea and I have seen this lived out in a variety of ways. We know that even before moving here we fell into the 'privileged' camp compared to most of the world's population but being here forces us to continue to ponder what this means.

As the spouse of a student, my favorite thing about Duke so far is the chapel. 'Chapel' is really a bit of a misnomer though. Duke Chapel is a beautiful Gothic style cathedral and supposedly has the largest involvement of all university chapels throughout the United States. For more info go here. The music and setting of sacred space has been stunning and life giving…

Other things we like about Duke…the Lemur Center! With over 300 lemurs, it is the largest gathering of these cute animals probably outside of Madagascar. We haven't been there yet, but we are looking forward to it!

Duke also has the spectacular Sarah P. Duke Gardens, again one of the ‘best’ private collections in the US. (photo above, the aspiring student with some very large water lilies.) Duke is surrounded by forest which is beautiful but this leads to one of the things we don’t like so much about the area. Durham and Duke and the surrounding cities are urban areas plopped in the middle of forests and fields. Because there is so much land available, this area is a great example of suburban sprawl. There really does not seem to have been too much planning - but what do we know, we've only been here a few weeks. Certainly there is no laid out grid to speak of. I call where we live forested suburbia. The views alternate between forested countryside and large apartment/condo/townhouse complexes that are plonked down in the middle of the forest. Infill is not a word used here yet!

If Duke and Durham were looked at as an island, then the island is completely surrounded by a confusion of intersecting highways and roads. This is helpful for those who know where they are going as there is always a multitude of ways to get anywhere, but for the newcomer, it is a bit of a maze and a challenge. And just to make it a little more complex, it’s all flat. No hills or really tall buildings so to speak to get your bearings. Just stretches of trees.

Other things we have noticed – people are very friendly and try to be helpful (even if the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing!), lots of pine trees, this is the land of fried chicken, rivalry over what kind of sauce (either vinegar based or tomato based) that you put on your barbecue depending on if you are from the east or the west part of the state and much, much rivalry over Basketball.

One of the most interesting things we have encountered in Durham is that the homeless or panhandlers who stand at intersections hoping for a handout as cars drive by, MUST wear orange vests. Whether this is for their protection or it just makes them official we don’t know yet, but it is unique!

Weather wise, it's been humid and hot this first month - can't complain! All my plants that survived the journey are thriving and loving their new home. When it rains, it rains tropical Asian style – heavy and then it’s over and the sun comes back out to bless the steam coming off the roads. It is interesting to be in air conditioning most of the time. But there are times when I step outside in the morning and the combination of the pine trees, the cool morning air and droning cicadas, if I closed my eyes I could think I am in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. A couple of times it has taken me by surprise. I love hearing the cicadas and the other myriad insects and birds throughout the day and night.

We have told various ones we have talked with that it is an interesting and different place. But it might be a place we come to really love. It has been difficult at times. Any big move and change can be difficult but the dynamics of the past year of travel, leaving Thailand, having a rushed month in the northwest and then coming here has left us in a strange state – somewhat tired and unable to be too excited about anything. It’s been a weird feeling. As an old saying/song goes - “Can’t go over it, Can’t go under it, Can’t go around it. Have to go through it.”

The other night we made Sushi, sprinkling on some sesame from the fields of Napajat that Pi Toi gave us. We have a bottle of wild forest honey from the forests of Maehongson that made it back with us too as well as our bottle of olive oil from Levanto from the olives I helped pick. We are surrounded by tangible gifts and memories of our trip, friends and God’s goodness to us. Having it smell like the Cameron Highlands is simply a bonus!

Duncan

An American Post

It has been five weeks since we arrived in Durham after driving a 24 foot truck while towing our car 3000 miles across 11 of these somewhat united states in six days as we made our move from west coast to east to spend at least the next three years living in the South.

We've had a few requests wondering how the trip went. We were grateful that the actual driving went really well - although there was that dead-end and turn around that we had to deal with right off the bat...An elephant definitely would have been easier here! (Picture to the left taken from a card made by patients at Manarom Hospital in Central Thailand - where I was born!)

A few other highlights...

Stopping to see our good friends Greg and Christina in another one of their amazing, close to the water, house finds!

Taking a video of Brian, Andrea's dad (who was gracious and crazy enough to want to go with us) after he ingested a particularly hot pepper. Unfortunately for us (and you) we can't get it to post at this time, we'll keep trying as it's quite amusing! Thankful for Brian's kindness (but not so thankful that we won't stop trying to post the video!) in coming with us especially as it was just the three of us unloading everything once we arrived. (A Big thanks to those who helped us load up in Tacoma!)

Being convinced and cajoled by my wife and father in law to stop in and experience the wonder of Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota.

Not sure this is a highlight, but being surrounded by bikers either going to or coming from Sturgis, South Dakota was also pretty fascinating.


Having MOST of the plants in the back of the truck survive and make it!

And a few Random Thoughts from the Heartland taken from various places.

Missoula, Montana - Ruby's Inn (a great non-chain place to stay) Breakfast - a place where the regulars are known. Truckers and heartland vacationers converse and say hello as they dig into their eggs, sausage, biscuits and french toast. Surrounded by very good chain hotels, Ruby's stands out for its quality and ability to go it alone without lowering any standards.

Gillette, Wyoming - All American chain hotels, all run by hard working Asian, Indian and Arab Americans. Unfortunately there's often nothing more American than paving a prairie/farmland and putting up boxes of hotel chains and big do it yourself stores. The All-American food creation and export is definitely the Burger/Fries and Fast food/Diner experience.

Driving across the great plains, it is hard not to think about what it was like two or three or five hundred years ago. The US has done many good things in the past but no one really likes to talk about 'our genocide' that wiped out millions of Native Americans. (I have more thoughts, but not sure this is the best forum.) Nevertheless it is haunting to imagine what this country once was.

Most decent sized airports I have seen in my life recently have multi-storied parking garages. I was really surprised when we drove by the St. Louis Airport (I think) to see one very large, flat, and never ending parking lot. Speaks to the amount of land available. I was also really surprised at the St. Louis Arch. Really impressive and tall.

We each had our favorite states. I found myself really liking Kentucky and Tennessee. So disappointed not to be able to swing into Nashville - but really happy with an unbelievable Holiday Inn Express in Knoxville/Strawberry Plains. Have to give them a shout out!

I told you it would be random! Everyone should have the pleasure (most of the time it is anyway) and opportunity to drive across this country at least once in their lifetime just for the experience of seeing it in one go and for what it will evoke in you. It's also kind of cool just to know you can do it and that it is very possible. Next time though, preferably not in a big truck! (Although Budget also gets a shout out. Great trucks and service!)

Duncan

Final Thoughts (but not really!)

"What was he doing during the trip? What was he thinking about? As in the morning, he saw the trees pass by, the thatched roofs, the cultivated fields, and the dissolving views of the country which change at every turn of the road. Such scenes are sometimes sufficient for the soul, and almost do away with thought. To see a thousand objects for the first and for the last time, what

can be deeper and more melancholy? To travel is to be born and die every instant."

Victor Hugo – Les Miserables

How is it possible to have any sort of definitive final reflection on a journey like we have experienced this past year? Like the journey of life there is no final period, for the journey continues to continue. For this we are grateful. If the past few months were it, that would be a little depressing and hard to deal with. As a true third culture kid, I have a foot planted very firmly in Asia but my passport (actually my passports!) say I belong in the “West” – wherever that is?! However, living in Thailand for the past few months made me realize that a huge part of me, maybe most of me just wants to be there – there is a deep resonation that I belong there even though it doesn’t look like I belong. This is the wrestling of any TCK (third culture kid). If we feel like we don’t completely fit anywhere, perhaps it makes more sense to be in the place where it looks like we shouldn’t fit as opposed to being in the place where based on our language and communication ability and sometimes the shade of our skin, most people assume we fit and belong there.

All this to say, I was not excited to return when a big chunk of my heart was staying in this place and with people I love greatly. As the quote states above – travel, good travel is birth and death all at the same time. Yet the journey we have chosen continues. A week ago we were in North Carolina looking for a place to live, getting a feel for the place, and taking care of some of the details surrounding Andrea beginning school. God has clearly provided a place for us to live and we continue to see his graciousness and kindness to us as he did so clearly throughout our travels. Without a doubt we come back knowing so clearly that God is watching over us and caring for us. That was our experience leading up to, throughout and even now as we return from our travels these past months. Just this week I called Del's Feed Supply where we buy the food for the chickens and asked the woman that answered if she knew anyone who might want four lovely hens. She immediately said she would - so despite great sadness at having to give up 'the ladies' after thirteen years of chicken raising here in the US, we know they are going to a good home - and it was clear again that God was looking after and providing for us.

Before we left Bangkok, Iven (one of our friends there), knowing how we were feeling about our impending move back to the US encouraged us to enjoy the good things that the US has to offer. So we have enjoyed a few things like…drinking straight out of the faucet/tap, not sweating continuously, not getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, fast internet (it only takes a couple seconds to load pictures onto the blog now – in our apartment in Bangkok sometimes we would wait 15 minutes!)

So 9 months later if anyone is keeping track…

63 beds we slept in

27 flights
11 or 13 countries (depending on how you count)
2 24 hour train journeys
1 apartment in Bangkok for 3 months

Countless taxis,

images of beauty and devastation,

faces and stories that have marked us for life…

And really it’s about the people we have met. Yes we have seen wonderful views and vistas but like the saying says – it’s about the people. New friends – Claudio and Grazia, Damien, Kagiso, Lilian and Thomas, Dave and Bella, Michiel, Leonie and Ottilie, Eak, Pi Fai, Pi O, and old friends we were reunited with – The Williams, Hedi, Lotte, Roy and Bonita, Iven and Kashmira, The Nichols, Pi Toi and Pi Lee and their families and all our friends and neighbors in the Maehongson area – all of whom mean the world.

So people, places and a peace knowing that we are not left alone in the world to struggle by ourselves. These are the highlights of the past year for which we are so grateful. We will continue to use the blog for thoughts and updates, although we're not sure that it will be quite as exciting as the past ten months, but you never know! On Monday, August 3, we start driving a 24 foot truck 3000 miles across the country while towing a car for a week which will surely warrant a posting or two.

We will be sending friends an email with our

new address and phone numbers soon as well. If you have been a regular reader, thank you so much for staying connected with us. Double thanks to those that commented or emailed us!

Duncan and Andrea

More Videos...

1. In the village of Pa Tyng, Gop (in white shirt, black shorts) plays Takraw with his friends. Any body part can be used (except the hands and arms) to get the rattan ball over the net.

Apologies that there is no way to flip the following two videos upright - tilt your head or your computer screen:-)

2. Grandpa Thii, keeps memories and culture alive in many ways including playing this traditional instrument.

3. Rocket festival, Rocket fired from a tree

Thoughts on a 90km stretch of road...

Maehongson, the most Northwestern province in Thailand, bordering Burma.

It was here (in four villages) on a 90 kilometer stretch of road that I was raised, from age 3-18, and it is this stretch of road that feels so much like home today. When my family arrived here in 1976 the main road wasn’t even paved all the way. Bridges were rough hewn logs anchored together by large metal spikes.

Much has changed. No wood bridges these days and now even most of the villages off the main road are paved with concrete. The buffalo that were used to plow the fields are gone in most villages (fortunately not all!) In Dorpae, the second of the four villages we lived in, the village didn’t get electricity until I was in 5th grade. Now everyone has a cell phone – even internet in some village homes! Globalization has changed the landscape and the culture dramatically in the last 15 years.

When I graduated from high school 18 years ago and returned to the US, most people – men and women, still worked the land in some agrarian form – farming, gardening, cutting timber. Now many work in some sort of service industry – hotel housekeepers, the Toyota dealership, 7-11’s, this past month the first KFC opened up in Maehongson. (Photo to left, the view from our back porch in DorPae during my elementary school years. Below - Grandpa Thii keeps memories and traditions alive.)

Money flows. All those who work now get a monthly salary –three, four, or five thousand Baht a month. Is this better? Most of those who owned rice fields and land, still own their property and still count on the all important rice crop and secondary garlic, soy and sesame – but who will they pass these fields on to? Many of the older generation now have to or choose to hire laborers to do the field work. Agriculture knowledge is not being passed on to their children. Once this generation is gone who will care for the land and the fields?

School and education is continually emphasized with more and more able to attend college. This is a good thing as agriculture cannot provide work for everyone. But it is still eye opening and somewhat startling to have witnessed this transition from agrarian to service employment so rapidly. Something that took several generations in the US has happened overnight here. Kids who go off to school here in Maehongson (which now includes a university) riding off on their motorcycles, plugged into their cell phones and TV dramas are no different than their peers 1000 kilometers away in Bangkok. They know the same styles, news, and celebrities.

Many things have changed, yet some things don’t change – the rolling hills, the flowing rivers, the simmering heat, the cool shady valleys. Riding our borrowed motorcycle one day as we drove those 90 kilometers is something I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Duncan