Winter is here!

Winter has arrived in Chiang Mai. Lows around 60º and highs in the mid-80's. Brrrrr! Not really, but truthfully I DO have to put a coat on when traveling on the scooter in the mornings and evenings. I actually bought a fleece pull over. I have to admit, Chiang Mai, and Northern Thailand in general, is incredibly beautiful and enjoyable to live this time of year.

I am sorry that I haven't been keeping up on the blog more diligently. Things have gotten pretty busy here with school and life. I now get to take a deep sigh and enjoy our winter break for the holidays. I can hardly believe that mid-term exams are over and we are headed into the home stretch of the school year. Finals will be starting the last week of February into the first week of March. Next week Kalya and I leave for Bangkok to spend Christmas in the big city and then on the 27th of December we will meet my sister and her husband in Bangkok and spend a few nights on Koh Chang (an island in the northeast Gulf of Thailand). Then, they will come up to Chiang Mai and be with us until mid January. We are very excited to share this part of the world with Kathy (my sister) and Wes (her husband).

I have been preparing daily for a recital that I will be giving on February 1 at Payap. I want to get in as much practice as I can before our relatives arrive. It has been so great to get into a regular practice routine. I really look forward to it each day. I am very excited for this concert. Joining me will be one of my colleagues at the University, Atsuko Seta, an amazing concert pianist from Japan. She will be accompanying me on a marimba solo. I will also be joined in the second half of the concert with a rhythm section of local Thai professional musicians performing five my own compositions, the last piece being a live performance of Ella's Eyes with the video showing as we play. These musicians are extremely talented and are so willing to go the extra mile to play my music. I am hoping that there will be some way that I can give them some sort of payment to show them that I don't take for granted their time that they are giving to me. They are becoming good friends

I think I am really beginning to find my rhythm here as I am beginning to develop great relationships with my students and colleagues at the University. After going through a very serious bout of depression for most of our time since we arrived, it has been by God's grace and to His glory that I have begun to break out of the depression and really beginning to enjoy the moment being here. Living in the moment has always been a concept that I have thought about a lot here, but now it is becoming more of a lifestyle as I begin to put the concept into practice. I love my students and not only my students but the other students that don't even take classes with me but enjoy coming to me for help and spend time together. Where, at first, I felt very much alone with regards to the faculty at Payap, I am now getting involved in their lives more. I have been especially reaching out to the Jazz faculty by going to hear them play at their evening gigs at some of the clubs in the city. It has been a blessing just being there to encourage them and show some genuine interest in what they are doing. They are so talented! I can see a genuine spark in their eyes when I come to listen. And, believe me, it's not because I'm all that (hardly) but it's more that a fellow musician and colleague is truly interested in just hearing them play and talk to them about the gig. Relationships are forming and I want to take joy in it while it lasts.

Kalya is really beginning to reach the girls at New Life Center. Last week when I dropped her off one of the girls came rushing out and gave Kalya the biggest, longest bear hug. The girls really look up to her and love being with her. She is so good with them. It is exciting to see her connect with the girls. Mondays have become a day that we look forward to. Kalya spends time with the girls until noon and then we are always invited to join them for lunch before we leave. It's great to share a meal there and have that time with both Kalya and me together.

I must say we have been so blessed that Chuck and Janice Sahagian live here in Chiang Mai. We have spent some great times together and it has been so encouraging to have friends that go back over twenty years. We have shared arroy mak meals together, sanuk mak adventures and lots of laughs. A couple of weeks ago we went to Chiang Dao for a weekend get away and it was a real treat. Chiang Dao is about an hour and a half north of Chiang Mai where the mountain ranges begin getting bigger and amazingly beautiful. Kalya and Janice drove the car up and Chuck and I took our scooters on just an incredible ride up to The Nest where we stayed. Please enjoy the following pictures from a very beautiful part of Northern Thailand. Oh...and Merry Christmas. Thank you Jesus for coming, dying and rising again to conquer sin and death for us!