who woudda thought.........

so who woudda ever thought that i'd.........

have an address in thailand?

live with burmese people?

have karen (an ethnic group of burmese people) clothing in my closet that i wear?!

have been appointed as a co-advisor to a union of former burmese political prisoners? (i still have to find out excatly what they mean by this and exactly what they think i know that they don't!!)

spend 3 months of evenings talking to my burmese friends about their lives? (which is very inspiring and interesting---i can't believe what some people live through!)

eat burmese food morning, noon and night for 3 months?

be homesick? (i have never dealt with this before, but i miss my friends in korea terribly---i now have a new sense of understanding and pity for people who are often homesick.)

have met 3 people from nova scotia in this small border town? (first i met a couple from annapolis, then on my way to the internet cafe today i met a guy from truro. small world.)

........i look at my life right now and laugh a little sometimes. about 10 or 15 years ago i never would have imagined that i'd be living the life i am right now. i've already lived for 5 years in south korea and now i'm living on the thai-burmese border. after i finish here, my life could go anywhere. i really have no idea where i could end up after christmas. i am determined to spend this christmas at home.......this much i do know---i think......hahahaha! it has been a long time and i miss that time of year very much, but come january, i could be headed anywhere in this earth. it's both exciting and daunting. where do i begin? i want to be doing something interesting, rewarding, helpful and exciting........but i also want to be doing something with t. this means, not only do i have to find something i want to do but something he's interested in as well. i really wish he was finished in korea sooner than the end of october, but i guess this will give me time to catch up with friends and family at home. i love the life i live but sometimes it is funny for me that i do what i do. living such a life of transition means always saying goodbyes, (i kow it always means saying hello too), and for me this seems to get harder and harder. i can't even watch people say goodbye. there were some burmese friends moving out of the town and into the refugee camp a week or two ago and i barely know these people but i couldn't even watch them say goodbye to each other...........we don't even want to talk about what the goodbye in korea was like (do we t??!!). some things just never get easier, but if that's my main downside, i'll live with it. there are far more benefits, for me, in this kind of life that i live than losses so i'm happy to keep on. if any of you know of any interesting jobs (volunteer or salary), please pass along any info or suggestions you have.

there aren't any interesting stories to write about lately. i have a bit of a routine here in mae sot. basically i get up.......teach for 3 hours.......have lunch........nap (cause it's too hot to do anything else!).........go into town for any errands or emailing..........hang out with my friend's students at their office...........go home and have "loree-beth" time while the 2 guys i live with are at computer class...........eat dinner..........chat or play a game or do some lesson planning.........go to bed. repeat..........for another 4 weeks, since i'm taking a week off next week to go to chaing mai.

i hope you are all well. only 6 more weeks 'till i see you guys in korea! 10 more 'till i'm home in ns!