Bombs Over Bangkok.
*Note: The title to this post is taken from a song called “Bombs Over Baghdad” by Outcast. It’s been going through my head for a week so I couldn’t help but apply it to Bangkok. That is all.
Well, we decided to leave Koh Samet and head back to Bangkok today. As we rode into the city, we were greeted with the pungent smell of burning rubber and the hideous sights of black smoke rising in patches around the city. The one thing that kept popping into my mind was September 11th. The view of the cityscape with the smoke was such a clear reminder of that monumental day so many years ago, and it made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. What really got me was when I saw the Christian Student Center building with the cross standing high, right there near where everything was burning. (That’s where we lived in January and February.) It’s right down the road from the Paragon and Central World shopping centers, both of which were set ablaze by Red Shirt militants earlier this afternoon. Notice that I said “militants” instead of “protesters” today. I do that because I believe these guys have crossed the line. No longer am I sympathetic to their cause…because how in the world is setting a mall on fire going to get you anywhere!? It’s not. This is getting ridiculous, and I hope this mess ends soon because I am so sick of the destruction, the violence, and the mayhem. The good news is that the Red Shirt leaders surrendered today and the military took over the Red camp at Lumpini Park. Perhaps soon order can be restored, and I will be able to do what I came over here to do–TEACH. I’m not going to lie, I’m so incredibly frustrated because I left the day after graduation for the sole purpose of being professional and arriving on time for the first day of school on May 11….a week and a half ago. And I school’s been canceled until the 24th and will probably be pushed back until June at this rate. Well, God knows me so well…He knew that if I had more time at home after graduation it would have been even harder to leave. I’m sure it was for the best that I got here in time to settle in and get comfortable before starting to teach. But for the record…I’m still mad about it.
So, thanks to a city-wide curfew, here I sit…at the school apartment, living off of a bottle of water and a box of half-eaten Cheez-its. Oh, livin’ the dream for sure! But you wanna hear something pretty crazy? I just got off the phone (via Skype) with my boy Brian Stewart at US-101 and he interviewed me on air for all you folks back home to hear. Here’s a link to the interview >> US101 Interview. I gave my Daddy a shout out and told him I was being safe…and he said he teared up a little bit and had to hide at work (bless ‘em). You can check out Brian’s blog at the US-101 website here >> Brian’s Blog. Oh, and hopefully my article in the Times-Free Press will be published tomorrow. That’d be unreal. I would just like to say that I’m absolutely stoked that I’m getting to use my Comm major! Really, taking pictures and writing about the news in Bangkok is what’s keeping me from going crazy and jumping on a plane back to the States. I guess you could say it’s my release. I really am loving it.
So, I thought that my homesickness was literally making me ill yesterday…I found out real quick last night that I was just for real sick. I barely slept because I was so sick and the stomach pain was like someone was stabbing me over and over again! Ugh. It was awful. It gradually got better today, but I’m still feeling a little bleh. Thank goodness for these healthy Cheez-its to settle my stomach. Ha. Good thing I’m not hungry anyway.
So, it dawned on me today that my theme of PATIENCE continues to manifest itself in my life. God is continually teaching me this, and I just realized that I’m in the midst of yet another lesson. Like I said before, I’m extremely frustrated that I haven’t even been able to start teaching yet, but I understand now that this is just another thing that I’m having to be patient about. God must have some other side purposes in mind for me while I’m waiting to teach. Oh!!!! P.S. When I walked in the Canadian’s restaurant on Koh Samet on Monday night, we sat down and all of a sudden I heard a familiar chord progression intro to a song…it was a song that I knew well, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. When a voice started singing, I got chills all over….it was “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller. I just sang it at church the week before I left to come here (and my dear sweet Madre did such a good job signing it, too!). I seriously just sat there and basked in the perfectness of God’s timing as the song played. I needed to hear it for sure. Here are the lyrics. I can’t help but post them because they are too perfect for my theme of patience.
“While I’m Waiting” By: John Waller
I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait
I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
Well, on that note. I’m gonna go ponder life or something around the apartment. It’s not like I can go out or anything. Ha. Until next time, stay classy America.
I’m out. //Cwalk.
This entry was posted onWednesday, May 19th, 2010 at 11:59 am and is filed under Asia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Girl! You’re da bomb! Da bomb over Bangkok, I guess!!! I’m so proud of you – enjoyed your interview with Brian today, and your blog is awesome as usual. Keep staying safe. Love you so much!!!
Sometimes “less” is more. Could have left the tearing up part out. Be smart! Be safe! and Be in your room before curfew.
Can’t wait to go to our “Secret Hiding Place’ again. My coffee cup is getting worn out.
Love you Girl
Enjoyed the interview too. Keep us updated. I look forward to the “updates” every day! xox – Judy
great to hear your voice friend….and i am so glad you are staying safe
Great work once again girlie. Glad to get your voice over the air here at home! Hopefully someone heard it and for one moment the problems they are facing suddently didn’t seem so bad. It’s easy for us to think we have a rough time facing the day, but there is always someone out there struggling more than we are. Thanks for shining the light on a true problem in our world. Stay safe and we’ll talk to you soon. We love the updates!
Christin you are one of the most inspiration people i know.. I know we lost touch with you i think if i kapt in touch i would have wanted to go there with you.. Because i now have been going to the church i go to for four years now and i am wanting to do something like what you are doing.. You keep safe there and i know the lord has a reason you left early.. just keep your head up and you will see soon enough.. In ending maybe when you get back here.. sometime we can meet up and catch up on time… And i will leave you with this when you get down and don’t know what to do think of this… I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me… PHILIPPIANS 4:13
Christin, Don’t you see? You ARE teaching already! You are teaching others about patience in your demonstration of it, you are teaching those at home who care about you to trust God to watch and care for you. You are informing others about the situation there through interviews, photos and blogging. You may not be doing the teaching you were counting on yet, but you are DEFINITELY teaching and conveying all of the things that God set out for you to communicate. You’re in our prayers, Mrs. Duble
Girl we are so proud of you and what you are doing for others in Gods Kingdom. Stay safe
I think the note at the top should have read: *The title to this post is taken from my friend Joey’s website who thought of stealing it from Outkast first…
In all seriousness though, I wish I could be as dedicated to blogging as you.
How is it that just anybody can write a blog and get as popular as this? Its not like youve said anything incredibly impressive –more like youve painted a pretty picture over an issue that you know nothing about! I dont want to sound mean, here. But do you really think that you can get away with adding some pretty pictures and not really say anything?:)
Dear Missouri Health Insurance (by the way…”insurance” has an “s” in it),
I do apologize if my blog fails to meet your expectations. However, I live in Bangkok and I wrote this blog with research-based knowledge and opinion in mind. I actually experienced the Red Shirts (and continue to do so twice a month when they have their rallies), so I do know about this issue. This blog was originally intended to update my friends and family back home, not serve as source of news. But, thank you for pointing out my blog’s popularity and complementing my “pretty pictures”…I am an aspiring photographer after all. And P.S. You do sound mean, but I welcome the criticism…having haters just reminds me I’m doing something right. :)
Love,
Cwalk
Hey there insurance guy/girl who do u think you are? Its a blog chill out. And I doubt you know anything about anything, seeing how u took the time to leave that stupid comment. Now if this was about Missouri or insance you might have some say but its not so pipe down, and let my girlfriend do her thing.
I appreciate it.