Our first full day in Chiang Mai

Here we are, still settling in in Chiang Mai. We arrived yesterday and got our cell phones situated and picked up Chuck Sahagian's scooter to borrow while he is still in the US visiting family. Our room is nice and we are still trying to get the lay of the land where we are staying. I am still trying to figure out a schedule at Payap and then get into the rhythm of teaching at the school. It's funny, in the states jobs are pretty clear for the most part without a lot of gray area as to what your responsibilities are. I am finding in Thailand that there are a lot of "maybes" and "that would be nice". It seems like more has to go into questioning and finding out what the needs are and how I can be used. I'm sure most of that has to do with the language barrier and I think that that is what concerns me the most. I want so badly to be able to communicate in Thai beyond "Hi, how are you. My name is Bryan, what is your name?" or, "I'm hungry. That tastes very good. Thank you." I am so unbelievably limited and it is very frustrating. How could I have let 34 years of marriage to Kalya slip by without REALLY learning Thai. I feel so dumb.

I visited the University today and we will be going to a faculty dinner tonight. When I arrived at the music building I saw one of the teachers that I met 2 years ago and reintroduced myself in Thai. I was on a roll and feeling good about what I was remembering until he started to respond in rapid fire leaving me in the dust. I asked him, in Thai, to speak slowly and then finally said, in Thai, that I didn't understand a word he was saying. He was kind enough to speak in English, then, but I just felt pretty defeated.

After that I met the Jazz/Recording prof. I know that I will be doing some Jazz improv workshops and working with some of the Jazz combos. I might also be doing some work with the recording studio teaching some recording techniques. Thank God they are an Apple Macintosh school. The person that teaches the Jazz program and Recording classes is very nice and is a Christian. We had a great time talking today and I know that things will get clearer in the next couple of days. It sounds like "maybe" he will be with me in the workshops to help with the language. Pray for me to communicate and pray for us to get settled in so that Kalya can start to look into some ministry opportunities here. God is good and I am just trusting Him to help with the language and try not to get so anxious. I have to keep remembering that it's only the first day and that things will get better with each new day.