Adventures in Thailand, Part 1

(This article is brought to you by the good people at Odesk)

There is a reason that I haven’t written a post during my entire summer break.  Briefly put, I didn’t want to re-live it through words.  Yeah, it was that kind of summer.  The worst I have had in a while.  Well, let’s get started (and get this over with).

First of all, our initial plan for the summer was just to go back to the States for the entire time.  We had pretty much been looking forward to this for a long while (say since December) and we were really excited when school finally ended and we were free to go.  But maybe a couple of weeks before we left, we realized that we couldn’t stay in the U.S. for the whole summer for tax reasons.  If we wanted to keep our tax free status on my current status, we can’t be in the country for more than 35 days.  So we would have to wait a couple of weeks before going back home.  

Well the last thing we wanted to do was sit in Abu Dhabi during the summer, particularly with Ramadan approaching because everything would close or only be open for a very short time.  So we got to looking for a short trip that we could take before we left for the States.  We have done Dubai a few of times, and knew that we could do that trip any weekend, so that was out.  We started looking at Oman, and some of the surrounding countries.  Then it occurred to us that this would be the perfect time to check out Thailand like we wanted to a while ago.  You see, our original original plan was to go to Thailand for the summer, but we opted for home because…well it’s been a year and  we wanted to see our families!  Now since we have to stay out of the country anyway, this would be a great time to just go ahead and cross it off the list.  

So it’s decided.  We luck up and find a great summer deal with Etihad, and end up paying almost half price for the tickets.  But was an ordeal in itself though.  Initially we found the deal online flying out of Abu Dhabi, but the next day it was gone (I was kicking myself because I should have just grabbed them as soon as I saw them).  Luckily, the day after I find the same deal flying out of Dubai so I jumped on it.  Turns out, there is no flight out of Dubai, the flight leaves from Abu Dhabi.  What the airline does is get everyone onto a coach bus and drives them from Dubai to Abu Dhabi airport.  But of course we only realized this after our hour cab ride to Dubai.  It didn’t matter though because we still had to check in at the bus in Dubai or else the tickets would have been cancelled.  It was a bit of a hassle but I didn’t mind too much because the deal saved us almost a thousand dollars on the cost of the tickets.  

Welcome to Thailand

The flight over wasn’t that bad, about 7 hours.  The plane was decent, though I was disappointed that we were flying Air Berlin as opposed to Etihad, which have much nicer planes.  I guess I saw where they save the money on that ticket.  Anyway, after shooting across India, we landed in Phuket, Thailand.  

For me it was an instant better vibe once we got to the Phuket Airport.  It was the first time being in an environment where the majority people in the room weren’t Arab; now they were Asian, and that was cool.  After they looked at our passports and we made it out into the main area we were bombarded with several guys asking if we needed a taxi.  It was a bit overwhelming because they were so aggressive.  We declined and made it outside, where we discovered that those few inside were only the first wave.  The second wave waited for us out here.  We finally managed to find a taxi that seemed to both not be ripping us off and knew were our guesthouse was.  

As we rode across the island to our guesthouse, Natova and I tried to soak it all up.  We had really been wanting to do Thailand for a while.  It was interesting to ride on the other side of the street, and get into a car with the steering wheel on the other side of the car.  It was great.  The scenery didn’t seem to be anything special but it was night time and we couldn’t see everything.  

We got to our guesthouse got our room and collapsed.  What we didn’t know was that our room would be on the top floor (no elevator) and that we would have to climb, I kid you not, the steepest flights of stairs I have ever climbed in my entire life.  It was like that little staircase that comes down from the attic when you pull down the hatch.  It was borderline a spiral ladder.  What’s worse is that I had to carry our ridiculously over-packed suitcase up said staircase.  Our suitcase would be an issue for the whole trip.  We later realized that we didn’t need 90% of the things we brought in that suitcase, which in realizing this seemed to only make it even heavier as we were lugging it around all over Thailand.  

Patong Beach

The next day we explored Patong Beach, Phuket.  It was our first stop of five we had planned.  Next we would head to Chiang Mai, located in the north of the country.  After that how could we not crash in Bangkok a couple of days.  Then we planned to head down to Malaysia, which sits directly under Thailand, to Kuala Lumpur, the capital.   Then we would hit up Singapore for a maybe a day trip, shoot on back to Phuket for another round of those great beaches, for at least a couple of days, then hop on the plane to head back to the UAE, then eventually the USA.  This was literally my dream vacation, and you may have picked up on the fact that things didn’t exactly transpire this way.  

For now, however, life was good.  Patong Beach was everything Abu Dhabi was not, though this same comparison can be broadened out to both countries (Thailand is everything the UAE is not).  The most visibly obvious thing was the dress, no khandoras, no abayas.  Just good ole fashioned T-Shirts and shorts, tons of skin showing everywhere, flip flops, and lots of people zipping in and out on motorbikes or motor scooters.  Mostly it was just a good relaxed atmosphere.  No worry that you are breaking any rules or offending someone.  Things were more laid back.  

Patong Beach had a few main strips and our guesthouse was off the main street.  There were shops everywhere, lots of hustle and bustle, so much energy, and great sunshine.  Not too hot, but just right.   We seemed to be in the thick of it all too, as we were within walking distance of Bangla Road, which I can only described as a condensed Las Vegas on a strip, full of gogo bars and nightclubs.  But that comes alive at night, as we discovered later.  

We walked around, and based on the suggestions given to us by the locals, we found a great clean massage place where we would get the first of many massages here in Thailand.  It’s almost hard not to get them often because they are so relaxing, last so long (60 min or 90 min), and only cost 5 or 6 dollars USD.  After our massages, all relaxed and rejuvenated, we strolled down Bangla road which after crossing a street, spilled out into the beach.

The beach looked like something out of a movie.  It was fascinating.  The water was sparkling, there were mountains framing either side of the beach, and lots of people just playing, walking, or just relaxing in the sun.  We found a decent spot, rented a couple of lawn chairs and an umbrella for cheap (I forget the price, but I remember thinking it was only a fraction of what we paid in Miami).  From there we proceeded to have one of the best afternoons I can remember for a long time.  It was surreal, again like we were in a movie, or perhaps a TV show.  You see people lounging out on the beach on a Tuesday, with not a care in the world.  Well for a one day, I was that guy and Tova was that girl.  We actually fell asleep under the shade of the umbrella, coming in and out, no threat of anyone or anything around us.  Just people having a good time or themselves lounging and nodding off.  I think the best thing was the many vendors that would come by with beers, coolers, sodas, water, fried shrimp, other seafood, sweets, etc.  We bought a some shrimp that was great and ate as we sipped on a cocktail.  

We didn’t stay on our beach chairs the whole time, comfy as they may have been.  We did make it to the water and I had the strangest experience there.  It was the first time I have ever walked into water at the perfect temperature!  I didn’t have to adjust, adapt or anything like that.  Usually, one has to just make the conscious decision to submerge his body into the cold water so his body can adjust, but I didn’t have to do that at all.  It was a relaxing room temperature, maybe a little cooler.  It was perfect.  Waves would come and we would try to jump them only to get engulfed.  The one thing that could have been dangerous was the undercurrent.  In fact, the lifeguard had to blow his whistle a couple of times directing people in and over to a certain area because the pull was so strong, and it was.  I could barely walk upright sometimes and when I would fall, I have never felt a current so strong to literally move me backwards while I am still gripping the sand.  It is fun to play with in shallow waters but I could definitely see how it would be scary if my feet weren’t touching the ground.  Other than that it was the most fun we have had at the beach.  

I am not sure how long we actually stayed on the beach, it seemed like forever, in a good way.  The sun finally did begin to drop below the horizon and we made our way back to the road.  After walking the equivalent of what you would call the boardwalk, we found a good restaurant where we ate some over-priced food, and that is over-priced for the U.S. which is really bad.  Obviously we and everyone else in there were being charged that Farang fee I had been reading about before we came.  “Farang” means foreigner, and in Thailand, as it is in most countries, farangs get charged more because the assumption is that they have it to spend.  Anyway we headed back to guesthouse got some rest and went out later to see the nightlife.  

Now, Patong Beach is generally not exactly known to be a family friendly gathering spot in the first place, if you know what I mean, although there were some families there on the beach.  You can clearly see this at night when the place really comes alive, even more than what it was before.  As the evening fell, we got a chance to feel the energy of a real Patong night.  The strip is full of bars and all of them were packed with tons of people.  Most of them were go-go bars, which basically means there is a half-naked lady dancing (go-go dancer) on a pole to entertain you while sip your Corona.  From what I heard, for a price you can buy her company.  In fact, from what I heard almost everything is for sale in Patong.  The streets were crowded with cars and motorbikes coming up and down the strip. 

As we walked over to Bangla street we saw that the entire street was closed off to cars and there were people packed there from sidewalk to sidewalk.  Attractive ladies and not some not so attractive ladies (and some I’m pretty sure weren’t ladies at all) were walking around in their underwear (or the equivalent thereof) passing out flyers or offering invitations to see the various nefarious acts, including the infamous ping pong show, a big deal over here in Thailand.  We kindly declined.  If you have to ask what the ping pong show is, all I will say is you have to use your imagination…give it a second…yeah, that.  So the ambiance was fun, and we hung out for a while before hanging it up and heading back in.  

That pretty much wrapped up Patong Beach.  All in all, it was the most relaxing time I have every had in my life, and Natova agreed with me.  Phuket was great, which is why we decided that we would check out the Phi Phi islands (pronounced “pee pee”) on our way out.  The great thing about this trip is that we got to adjust however we want.  None of the tickets were bought yet so if we wanted to stay longer, or skip a place, or whatever, we could do it. It was up to us.  Unfortunately, we had to utilize this flexibility far sooner and more often than we wanted when things took an unexpected turn (literally) in Chiang Mai.  I’ll explain. Stay tuned, part 2 is coming up soon. 

New Territory (Natova)

In June 2011, during my lunch breaks I was reading the “Prayer of Jabez” by Bruce Wikinson.  I think this is one of those classic books everyone should keep in their home library and re-read from time to time (also, “Who Moved My Cheese,” by Spencer Johnson M.D is a great one as well).  Anyhow, this was my second time reading the “Prayer of Jebez,” and I found it to be just as exciting and fascinating as before. So, for those of you who do not know the Prayer of Jabez, it goes like this:

The book goes in to each line and explains what Jabez meant when he prayed this prayer. Most people think he was asking for a financial blessing but there are other ways a person’s territory can be expanded such as in ministry by having greater opportunities to do more for Christ. I hope I didn’t spoil the book for you, but there is so much more in the book then what I just mentioned. So, please go buy it or check it out of your nearest library. I hope I get royalties from this promotion. Okay back to my story.

 Every day while reading the book I would pray God would enlarge my territory and bless me indeed.  Two days after finishing the book Ray received an email about teaching in Abu Dhabi. He called me at work and asked me what I thought. My response was, I’ll go wherever you are”. Just like a good wife, right. Actually, I didn’t think he would follow through with it so I could have said anything. As you know, we’re in Abu Dhabi right now so I will never underestimate him again.  Of course, we talked about it more and weighed our current situation before deciding to move to Abu Dhabi (the expanded territory). At the time, I didn’t put two and two together that the prayer I was praying was being put in action.  Just like the old saying goes, “Be careful what you ask for because you might just get it.” 

As the days went on I began to think about our spiritual life and how it would be affected living in Abu Dhabi where the country is majority Islamic. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to practice my religion or attend church. Plus, Ray and I loved our church in Jacksonville and for wives it usually difficult to find a church home where both of you are happy. Therefore, moving was a big decision for more me. My solution of course was internet church and Pandora for praise and worship. A girl has to do, what a girl has to do. Luckily, Pastor Stovall’s messages are online for FREE so we could continue under his teachings. I know you could probably see me clapping my hands and leading all the songs with perfect pitch in my living room, but I’m really having a good time. 

Within in the first two weeks after I arrived to Abu Dhabi, Ray and I ran into a couple on our floor (we’ve mentioned them before in earlier posts.) They were coming back from church so they gave us a program of the service. I was a bit shocked because I thought like most people we couldn’t practice our religion here and if we wanted to, we would have to hide and sneak around to do so. Gratefully, this is not the case here in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has really embraced the different religions and we can openly practice our faith. Okay let’s be clear now, you can’t stand on the street corner preaching or openly try to recruit people. This would actually land you in big trouble with the law. 

Sadly, as for the program, I placed it in my purse where it remained for several weeks, but finally my curiosity got the best of me so I went to the website to check things out.  The church name is Evangelical Community Church of Abu Dhabi (ECC). Their services are held on Fridays because this is the national holy day instead of Sunday in the UAE and other Islamic countries. I went to their website to see what they believe and teach. Plus, I wanted to test out a sermon or two to see if it was a good fit. I listened online and it was completely boring so I talked with my friends who were attending services there and got their opinion. After convincing me to attend, I went to my first international service.  It was mid-December and the church was packed. We could barely find a seat. I ended up sitting right next to the first lady who coughed on me the entire service.  She also played the piano. After, I sat down I scanned the congregation. I saw people from all over the world. It was an awesome experience being able to worship Christ in a foreign land amongst people from many different backgrounds and cultures. Worship service was going on at the time so I attempted to join in by reading the lyrics on the screen. 

Now, I’ve attended many different worship services in my time from one base drum to a full Christian rock band every Sunday so I believed I’m able to worship under any circumstances. However, I wasn’t use to the violins and the song choices. I tried to catch on the best I could. Nevertheless, right when I began to give up I heard the beginning lyrics to “Come all ye Faithful,” and that’s when the congregation took on their full sound singing loud and confident. I stopped singing for a moment just to listen to the worship coming from the crowd. A sound that brought confront to my soul. This was absolutely the best part of the service. The message went forth and then all the visitors had the opportunity to tell their name, how long they been in Abu Dhabi and where they were from. The counties were widespread from the UK to Africa, Philippines to India and so on. I know there are Christians all over the world but for the first time being out of the segregated, boxed in services I attended in the past it was quite refreshing to fellowship with Christians from all walks of life, culture and backgrounds. Not to completely bash church in the US but sometimes it good to try new things, to grow, expand or even to enlarge our territory a bit. I left the church feeling good even though the message wasn’t to my opinion the best, but I may have to work with what I have.  

The next service I remember attending was the Christmas service it started out great because I was able to sing along. They had a cute rendition of Jingle bells using Jesus Saves instead. We all stood up and shook our keys while singing Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves. I can’t remember the rest of the song. So like I said it started off great. However, ended horribly. The pastor started off saying he preaches the same Christmas message every year so I thought great it must be a pretty darn good message. Not so. The message was about the Christmas story but the things he focused on were either irrelevant or confusing. After the service was over, I asked my friends if they understood the purpose of the message and they too were frustrated by the experience. I left shaking my head.  Oh, how I wished my brother (Trey) was here to shake this place up. This was the last time I attended the service at ECC. 

I no longer attended services at ECC so I started the church hunt again. While at another game night with a group of friends I ran into a African American British lady who had a similar problem with the message and the praise and worship at ECC. She found a church at one of the nearby malls and suggested I try it out. I went to one service and it was great. The message was good. The pastor was on a series about the spiritual gifts and the music was closer to what I was use to. The church was mainly run by Pilipino leadership. I only attended this church once because the time was so early and I have a job now which prevents me from doing a lot of things. However, during my short time at ECC I found out about a women’s bible study group. 

After careful thought and long procrastination I filled out the registration and signed up.  There were several studies being offered therefore, I selected “The Vision of His Glory,” by Anne Graham- Lotz. It was a six week study held once a week at a member’s home. I attended the first study and like always I was the only Black person. I was shocked only because there were other Black people in church and actually the lady passing out the information was Black at least that’s what I thought.  You know sometimes I’m not even sure anymore especially here, but that is another blog. Anyway, I was only looking for something in common with the lady from the first impression. After, I didn’t receive this I found myself in a room of well to do house wives with majority of their husbands in the oil business. Now, this was a challenge because I needed to establish a common ground. Thank God for Jesus.  The ladies were great. We would come in and have coffee and tea while chatting with one another before starting the lesson.  After watching our video and going over homework we would have tea and coffee again with all the yummy dishes everyone brought for the pot luck. I really enjoy my time with ladies. 

The lesson itself was intense it was completely based in Revelations. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. We had to analyze each verse in our homework. Most days I was just lost. It’s my first study and it’s in Revelation, what is this? Ray would laugh at me because I would spend hours trying to do my homework.  Now, that the study is over I really miss the group.

I’m now in my second bible study group. At the end of our first semester the church offered us another set of studies to choose from, “Stepping Up” by Beth Moore or “Lord, Teach Me to Pray,” I’m not sure of the author.  I chose “Stepping Up”.  “Stepping Up,” focuses on the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), the pilgrimage to the festivals in Jerusalem.  So far, I’m really enjoying the course. I’m with a different group of ladies due to the course I selected this term. The condo we’re meeting at is fabulous. You know when to come to someone’s home and it’s very nice and expensive you take your shoes off at the door. Well, in this case I wasn’t sure if I should take my whole outfit off!   Her living room was draped in silver and white with baby blue accents, along with lots of bling trimming the pillows and art work.  One side of the condo was floor to ceiling windows and the size of the entire place was huge and very well decorated. The oil money is working out very well for them. 

I’m enjoying the new territory God has placed me in and all the new people I have developed relationships with while in Abu Dhabi.  No matter their background, age or race our journey in knowing God and ourselves better are one in the same.   Blessings everyone, blessings!