a couple of stories for the ages...

so, it's been a long time since i last blogged. i thought i'd warm myself up for the long blog about outreach with a couple of stories about life in thailand. so sit back and enjoy:)

the haircut

i pretty much have needed a haircut since i left the U.S. but didn't have time or a large extra stash of funds. i thought to myself 'how bad could it be? it's not like i'm going to actually DO my hair!' well it got bad. my hair got so weak and damaged that it was an out of controll frizz ball. there was nothing i could do but get it cut. in thailand. by a thai.

now, i'm not asian and therefore do not have the thick black asian hair. so i was nervous about someone who has never cut farang (foreigner) hair before cut mine. luckily, i was pointed to a place at a nearby mall that employed a few people who knew how to deal with farang hair. it went ok, aside from the fact that my stylist knew very little english and i knew even less thai. i showed him a picture and he went to town. a little too much into town, but he got the main idea. then he blow dried me! i thought i was going to pass out from the heat! but here's how it turned out. this is the only time i've had straight hair since i got here, so it was a momentous occasion:

laab

my wonderful thai friend taught me how to make my favorite thai dish that i've discovered while i've been here. it's called laab and is from the esan region of thailand. don't worry, i'll make it when i get home...if you're lucky :) we were able to make it in only about 30 minutes. we had to have one of the base interpreters help us out, but it was SO MUCH FUN! thank you so much mai! oh, and p'paul for translating of course.