gandhi had it right – india is a country of nonsense.

we made it to texas.   had our worst customs experience in dallas.  only 5 or so counters open (leaving 23 closed) and the computers went down.  but we made it through.

still lots to process from india. i’m really not sure where to begin – i’m guessing those tales will show up in the near future.   i also have plenty of pics to share.  some with stories.  some with out.

i did get sick in india. some viral infection. fever, headache, vomiting, lack of appetite, tired, and then 6 days in it bloomed into a lovely rash and swollen extremities. but i managed to only miss out on one day of activities and that was shopping, so no harm.

now there’s jetlag to recover from and a month to prepare for the return journey. that i’ll be making alone. well, not completely alone. the kids will be accompanying me. but i’ll be the lone adult.

far
we’ve been travelling far
without a home
but not without a star

free
only want to be free
we huddle close
hang on to a dream

on the boats and on the planes
they’re coming to america
never looking back again
they’re coming to america

home, don’t it seem so far away
oh, we’re travelling light today
in the eye of the storm
in the eye of the storm

home, to a new and a shiny place
make our bed, and we’ll say grace
freedom’s light burning warm
freedom’s light burning warm

everywhere around the world
they’re coming to america
every time that flags unfurled
they’re coming to america

got a dream to take them there
they’re coming to america
got a dream they’ve come to share
they’re coming to america

they’re coming to america
they’re coming to america
they’re coming to america
they’re coming to america
today, today, today, today, today

my country tis of thee
(today)
sweet land of liberty
(today)
of thee I sing
(today)
of thee I sing
(today)

america ~ neil diamond

we made it. suffering a bit of sensory overload and even more altitude sickness. but on the mend. am keeping a journal so i can post my impressions from texas…

this past wednesday, as i was gettin’ ready for the day, i was feeling a bit anxious. i only had one more sleep in my bed for 6 weeks. and while the trip to india had me feeling a bit unsure – it’s the trip to america that really had me worried. it’s the first time back for the kids and me. which means it’s also the first time they will have to leave america (the old, familiar, probably very comfortable home) to return to chiang mai (the still new home). how unpleasant might it be leaving again? as i was out and about running errands two things occurred that soothed my soul.

1) the kids and i were on the way to the mall to drop c15 off at the movies. as we were driving down the super highway – a highway that is pretty super for here, but basically it’s a boulevard with very few lights – a herd of goats was coming our way. on the inside of the service road. and they were hearded onto the super highway by a car headed up the on ramp. there were maybe 6 adult goats and 3 kids. it gave us all a good chuckle and the chance to say, “we’d never see that in the states.”*

2) that night i headed out to pick michael up from the airport. and almost rear ended an elephant. it was dark and he is dark. he was wearing a flasher on his tail, but it had gotten a bit twisted and was pointed at his rear, which isn’t a reflective surface. i wasn’t going fast, it would have been more of a tap. maybe caused him to sit on the hood of the car. and my first thought was that it would be a bummer if i had hit that elephant and it had sat on the hood of my car because i had no camera!

and i went to sleep – my last sleep in my own bed for 6 weeks – feeling pretty confident that the return trip home – the one that will bring us back to chiang mai – might not be all that difficult.

______________________________

* i’m guessing that is something that could happen in the states, but we won’t be visiting areas that allow goat herd gangs.

a) mark twain

“india is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in india only!”

b) gandhi

“well, india is a country of nonsense.”

beside my bed – two very empty backpacks

on my bed – two piles of clothes to be sorted, folded and packed into the two empty backpacks beside my bed

on the couch in the hall – baggies of stuff.  shampoo, liquid laundry detergent for hand washing unmentionables, body soap, sunscreen, medications for headaches, belly aches, motion sickness, antiseptic, band aids, hydration packets, mosquito spray.  which all need to be packed with the clothes that are sitting on my bed waiting to be sorted, folded and packed into the two empty backpacks beside my bed

at the desk in the office – me.  sitting on my computer not dealing with the baggies of stuff.  shampoo, liquid laundry detergent for hand washing unmentionables, body soap, sunscreen, medications for headaches, belly aches, motion sickness, antiseptic, band aids, hydration packets, mosquito spray that on the couch in the hall which all need to be packed with the clothes that are sitting on my bed waiting to be sorted, folded and packed into the two empty backpacks beside my bed.

maybe i should do something, maybe.

one more sleep in my own bed until august and i’m not sure how restful that will be.  i’m all kinds of anxious.  the to-do list is getting shorter – thankfully.  and i’ve settled on what to pack – i was really struggling with this one.  we’d been advised that capris would be fine.  and then we were advised that we’d need long pants.  the only long pants i own are jeans.  heavy jeans.  and then i saw the forecast.

so, i’ve decided to pretend that i don’t know nothing about wearin’ no jeans.  to save me from having a heat stroke.  because i am prone to those.  i also think i’ll be packing every last drop of sunscreen i can get my fair skinned hands on, because a uv index that varies between very high and extreme – that’s skin cancer waiting to happen.

it’s official – c15 and i can get into india!

now we just gotta get our reentry permits so we can get back into thailand.   and we i gotta pack.

Posted in c15 - previously known as tb, india, me me me ]]> http://transplantingme.com/2009/06/22/with-open-arms/feed/ 4 transplanting me Indiavisa_0002 Indiavisa_0001 http://transplantingme.com/2009/06/20/happy-its-not-fathers-day/ http://transplantingme.com/2009/06/20/happy-its-not-fathers-day/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:10:06 +0000 monica @ transplanting me http://transplantingme.com/?p=4334 ]]>

michael’s missing this father’s day, but lucky for him we live in thailand.  where they celebrate father’s day in december.   he deserves some amazing props and a big shout out because he’s a wonderful father!!

so happy it’s not father’s day Michael!!

with india right around the corner i’m not sure how often i’ll be able to post, hopefully a post or two more before c15 and i hit the road and if we manage an internet cafe or something in india maybe a post or two from there.  so – here’s the goings on for the next little bit for us.

right now, michael is in uganda.  from uganda he will head to indonesia – arriving home the morning of june 25.  the afternoon of june 25th (yes, the same day) c15 and i will head to india.  we are traveling as part of the youth team from our church.  there are 17 kids and 5 adults going.  we are very thankful to God that we are able to experience this, but are also feeling apprehensive.  we will spend the first few days in india working on team building and some immersion training to prepare us for the ministry areas we will be involved in.  they include:

• wheel chair distribution
• accompanying social workers to the slums
• ministering to HIV infected people and their families
• distributing rations to poverty stricken families
• working in soup kitchens
• visiting youth hostels
• working at a leprosy colony

it’s a pretty full itinerary.

while c15 and i are in india, michael,a12 & s9 will be heading to the United States.  they arrive July 2 and will get to enjoy fireworks and maybe a cookout!

c15 and I will leave chennai on July 8.  we will have a 17 hour layover in bangkok and arrive in dallas on july 9.

july 12 – 17 michael will be the camp pastor at royal family kid’s camp.  he has been involved with this camp for over 10 years and is very excited that this year c15 will be accompanying him to lend a hand! .

july 19 the whole family will fly to colorado springs returning to dallas july 30.  august 3 – 7 s9 will be going to camp thurman – a day camp in arlington.  both c15 and a12 have been able to go to this camp and it will be s9’s first opportunity.  we will be leaving the states on august 8th arriving home in chiang mai august 10th and the kids will begin school august 13th.

it should be fun, busy and most likely exhausting!!