Winter

Some videos of the action.

Siblings...so cute.

My Korean Loves...my family away from home;0

Thailand and Christmas...

I am a horrible blogger. And, I apologize for the lack of attention that I have given to this website, but know that you all are always in my thoughts and prayers. I guess I will try to sum up what has been happening in my life.

I just recently got back from Thailand. I spent Christmas there, which was a completely different experience from what I am accustomed to. The weather was warm/hot. Thailand was beautiful. It was very different from Korea; the people, food and culture. Some parts of the country are very beautiful, and other parts are very busy (Bangkok) and dirty. In comparison with Thailand, Korea is a lot cleaner and more kept-up. Thailand is a lot more relaxed country, people are a lot more out going. They generally aren't shy, where as Koreans are shy, and it takes some time, (but I'm biased)...once you get to know them, you will love them for life. Thai people are more directed towards the life of the leisurely vs. the life of hard work. They are more carefree. The mentality is slow paced, and in Korea it is very fast. Many Koreans are not so patient. Their mindset is work, work, work and quickly. I have really come to admire Koreans for that attitude. They are so prideful too, and it seems to me that many Thai people are more passive. I love that about the Korean people. I think in America with work and play, we tend to have a good balance. I think in Korea, their lives are devoted to work and serving other people. Part of me thinks that it's the best thing in the world and another part of me aches to see people not enjoy life more. It is almost as if they are imprisoned and they have this sense of duty and responsibility that so often I find is a hindrance to their own identities and sense of pleasure. I think there has to be a balance. While I strongly admire the Korean mindset of hard work and service, I do believe that in a sense it is one of their greatest downfalls.

While I was in Thailand, I stayed in Bangkok for a couple of days, and then went to Ko Samet Island, and then went north of Bangkok for my friends' wedding. Bangkok was cool, but very busy. The transportation system is really simple compared to what we have in Seoul. They have one metro system that is in one straight shot through Bangkok. The country's main form of transportation are motorcycles...and, riding on the backs of trucks, which they call sow tows. I rode on a couple of motorcycles and on a sow tow on my way to the beach.

Thailand is predominately a Buddhist country. 95% of the country is Buddhist..., where 76-77% of people in the USA are Christians (statistics from a 2002 poll, so may not be completely accurate). And Korea I would guesstimate that around 40% of the people are Christian. But, while in Thailand, I did visit a temple because there are temples everywhere. I also went to a couple of big markets. Everything in Thailand is super cheap which was cool. It is a very poor country and their means of business comes from tourists. It is a little overwhelming because of course there are tons of people at the market and lots of things to look at.

Ko Samet was beautiful. I left Justin and Gai in Bangkok and went off on my own to explore some more of Thailand! The sand was so white and soft. The water was a pretty blue. The island I went to had a lot of foreigners from Europe. I met some interesting people. I went snorkeling all day one day and ended up making friends with the Thai owner of the boat. The day was amazing, and lovely. There are mountains and caves on the Island. I actually went into a bat cave while I was out in the middle of the sea. I spent Christmas on Ko Samet. It was different, and I did miss home. It was kind of disheartening because everywhere in Thailand Christmas is huge...in the sense that it is very commercial. They put up all of these lights and Christmas decorations, so people will buy them. It is very clever in the business sense because people do buy and businesses make a profit, but at the same time it made me really sad. For me, Christmas has always been really special, and it's the time of year when I celebrate Christ's birth, but I think on a global perspective, not just Thailand it has lost its true meaning. People celebrate Christmas because it is a cultural thing and not because it is a religious thing. It makes my heart hurt to see people just celebrating and not even knowing the true meaning behind the holiday. Christ has been removed from the mas. It made me remember one of my dear friends in elementary school who was Hindu, and was from India. I remember staying over at her house one night during Christmas, and her family had pictures up everywhere of various gods and I asked her why they celebrated Christmas, because they also had a Christmas tree and decorations and she said because it was part of American culture. What she said stuck with me... Sometimes, I hate the idea that we've fallen into cultural agendas, and notions of how a society should be ran. Is it only to make more money, or to do it because it's what "pleases other people," or a little bit of both?

After Ko Samet, I left to go north of Bangkok, a few hours away. I didn't really get to stay long. I was there for a night and a day for my friends' wedding, and then left to come home. The wedding was an all day affair, and a traditional Thai wedding. It was neat having the opportunity to see what a Thai wedding is like. The whole village came and they did several ritual things. I thought the most interesting was the blessing of the dowry. In most cultures, it is not unusual to have some form of dowry when there is a wedding. However, in Thailand I thought it was interesting because it is one of the most important parts of the ceremony. The groom gives most everything he has earned in the form of currency (baht) to the bride's family, and at the wedding ceremony the elderly sit around this plate of money and sprinkle water on the money to bless it.

By the end of the trip I was ready to get back to Korea. I did miss Korea. Everything here is going great! I tend to hang out with my Korean friends a lot. I am blessed everyday with God's amazing grace in my life. He always surprises me with something new and sometimes reminds me of the old and what it means to dwell in His home.

Happy New Years...

All my love,

Alexis