“I want to know God’s thoughts, the rest are details”
Albert Einstein
Food for Thought
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. During this time, we prepare for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and observe the three pillars: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. On most mornings as we ride on the back of the songtaew (red pick-up truck with two benches in the back) to the Wat where we teach class, we see the monks from our Wat making their food-gathering rounds. On their morning rounds, each monk walks silently, eyes downcast, barefoot, along the neighborhood streets. He carries his alms bowl, often suspended by a sling across one shoulder.
The monk stops only when he is respectfully and quietly addressed by a layperson waiting at the side of the road to place food offerings in his bowl. Since it is an important part of Buddhists’ belief that they earn merit by their generosity to monks, they place in the monks’ alms-bowls ready-to-eat food of the best quality.
This week I visited the Maryknoll Urban Asylum Seeker/Refugee food distribution office. It’s one thing to learn and read about this work but to witness the refugees and to hear their stories first hand is very emotional. Arlene and Tik do a wonderful job organizing the operation and attempting to fairly distribute food items. Maryknoll helps the Urban Asylum Seekers/Refugees, particularly the asylum seekers registered with the United Nation High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). When they enter the office, they show their UNHCR ID and sign-in on the registration form which lists their UNHCR number, name, nationality, status (single/family), number of children and whether they are an asylum seeker or refugee. Each person gets rice, sugar, milk, noodles, and cooking oil, then, based on their nationality preference, they get either rice noodles or flour and sardines. On the registered list were people from Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and Tanzania. Mostly the woman pick up the food because they say it is safer since their husbands would be more likely to get arrested. The women are very strong carrying two big bags of rice, the food items and sometimes a child.
It took two hours to get to the food distribution office on two songtaews and two buses. On the way back at one of the transfer locations that was next to a canal, I saw a monitor lizard! Wow, it was probably 5 feet long including the tail.
Monitor Lizard
Dragon Fruit Follow-up . . . I like it!
Amazing Food!
We were invited to one of my students home to help celebrate her husbands 80th birthday. When we arrived, the monks were there chanting over the birthday boy. Before the monks left, one of them provided holy water blessings on our heads, I mean not just a sprinkle like the Catholic Priests but a bunch of bamboo sticks slapped on your head! The food buffet was amazing, I especially liked the pumpkin in coconut milk dessert. At the dinner table were my students’ grown children who speak Thai, their cousins from China who only speak Chinese, and us Americans who only speak English. It made for interesting conversations . . . thank you “google translate”! I had my first tuk tuk ride back to our apartment. Locals don’t typically use tuk tuk’s since they inflate their prices.
We were also hosted to a lunch at a Chinese restaurant for one of the teachers going away. Hard to believe I’ve been here for almost two months.
first tuk tuk ride! 
BBQ chicken between bamboo sticks and Vegi dish from the market next to our apartment 
Julie’s Crackers
Walker Nuts
Ground Pork Noodles 
Duck Lettuce Wraps 
Spicy Prawns and Broccoli 
Bamboo Soup 
Duck Skin Wraps 
Chinese Restaurant
US Embassy Visit
We met with the Regional English language Office to obtain resources and get tips for teaching English.
Chinese Calligraphy in Chinatown
I had my first of two Chinese Calligraphy classes in Chinatown. Those of you that know me, know that I have a passion for western calligraphy. Since my brother brought back Chinese Calligraphy brushes from China, I have wanted to take classes to learn the art. I set out early not wanting to be late and was excited to walk the early morning markets in Chinatown. I thought about having raw eggs from a street vendor for breakfast who said it would make me strong, but settled for Chinese coffee and pork noodle soup for breakfast!
Chinese Coffee 
After my private class, I ventured to Phra Maha Mondop The shrine of the Golden Buddha image and the Chinese Museum. The Golden Buddha Image is the largest golden Buddha in the world. It is 13 ft tall and weighs 5.5 tons with an estimated value of 37 million dollars.
Embracing Gray 