Hello Strangers

 Figured a new post was a wee-bit overdue. I have come to realize that there IS no normal when it comes to graphic design in Thailand. I haven't worked with the same person for more than a week, the same projects for more than a few days, and definitely haven't been in the same place for more than a few hours...hahaha. It's been pretty crazy.
So everyone reading this seriously missed out on THE weekend and should consider investing in plane tickets for the next weekend in case of further lost opportunities :) haha. Basically (if you could sum up an adventure with one word, HA!) it went something like this...
Saturday: I ended up doing powerpoint slides for the Burmese church. I was definitely groaning about going but dude, it was SO rewarding!!!! I asked the pastors wife (who would have adopted me if I was for sale, but its okay mom!) who told me to show up at 9:30 for church the day before, BUT her husband the pastor said, "WELL....church doesn't actually start till 11:00 but Sabbath School is at 9:30." So I'm thinking, "Hey hey hey! This girl is sleeping in!" Goi and Andrew left early that morning because they had to go film a baptism at the church near the SDA Hospital and took my time getting ready, but couldn't force myself to procrastinate longer than 10:15 because I'm still working off jet-lag...haha.
So, I showed up at 10:15-ish and walked into the church and the entire Sabbath School STOPS in the middle of the lesson and is like, 'NICOLE! So glad you made it!" I felt awful for being late. They all scooted down a row of chairs and I was stuck front and center, THEN the person who had been giving the sabbath school in Burmese looks at this other guy sitting near me and nods. This random person gets up and starts translating everything the Burmese guy says into English, JUST FOR ME. O.O
I set up the powerpoints after that, but everyone in the church had to stop and talk, "Ma-te-abue Nicole! (hello in burmese)" Talk about a church you just want to put in your pocket and take with you everywhere.
Goi and Andrew showed up later to film 6 baptisms that happened at the church that day, and after the pastors wife had watched us all eat and was pleased with the amount of rice/noodles/fruit we all consumed let us leave for the day.
We went to the park for the afternoon, chased pidgeons, played cards and watched this hackey-sack-volleyball game that was really incredible! I'll have to attach a video so you can understand better.
Then Shannon (sp?) this crazy Australian guy that helps us with video sometimes called us up and asked if we wanted to go to an upscale vegetarian buffett. We all said sure and got in this taxi heading towards China-town (how is it that every city has a Chinatown? what happened to Mexican-town?!)
It was kinda interesting actually because we had to go through a really touristy section of BKK and ended up getting mobbed by salesmen, odd...because the white people seemed to out-number the Thai's there.
We finally got to the restaurant and besides being also a tourist hotspot it was REALLY FUN. Its seat-yourself, and we chose floor cushions on the balcony level. It wasn't "upscale" looking, it actually resembled the ideal hippie-pad. Tapestries, rugs, lights, incense everywhere. They had Thai dancers (Goi says that every person, even boys, have to learn cultural thai dancing in high-school). The food was REALLY good, but apparently the cafe here serves dishes that are pretty similar for half price, I haven't eaten at the mission school enough yet to know.
After that we caught a Thai movie called "Hello Stranger" if it ever makes it to foreign film sections in Blockbusters near you...RENT IT! It was adorable. Definitely going to win a foreign film/indie film award soon. You laugh, you cry. It was about two Thai teenagers who go to Korea on vacation (apparently Thais revere Koreans almost as much as white-foreigners) and get dumped. We learned a LOT about Thai culture and Korean culture from the film actually. SUPER CUTE!
On the way back home I bumped into a mannequin and Shannon got me to "wai" it (its the typical Thai greeting where you do the "prayer hands" and bow at each other) he swore it was super impolite...the saleslady must have thought I was crazy!
Looks like I'm saving Sundays events for a later date...hahaha. Saturday was just too cool. Love ya guys!