So far after the Trek

Hi friends!

I'm been back from Bangkok for about two weeks now. For a brief overview for those who do not know, I was on IV's Global Urban Trek with Iheoma for 6 weeks in Bangkok. It was with a team of 15 students and 4 staff from across the country. We split into 4 different ministry sites (Iheoma and I were at different sites) and I lived and served with a team of 4 other girls in an urban slum leper colony.

I've largely been sitting in a lot of tensions, thinking about life for the next few months, spending time with family, entertaining my cousin's family who were here for a week, and hiding from life and the world. But! I've started to come out some and enjoyed playing ultimate with Mike Wei and Andrew Kao among others over the weekend. :)

It's been hella rough coming back. If there's a one word answer I would give to "how was it?" I would say "traumatic" (even though if I was listening to myself, I would think I'm being overdramatic, but that's really the honest answer). Both the experience there and coming back. Re-entry angst has tapered down some now but there's still unexpected triggers here and there and I suspect this will continue for quite a while. So I ask for a lot of grace from you. I also recognize a lot of ways the Lord has been so gracious to me, and I'll share some highlights.

This is my 2 year old niece. She's so cute! She was visiting when I returned. We were picking tomatoes. I spent a lot of time with preschooler's in Bangkok, so it was helpful for the transition. And I especially enjoy little kids that speak Asian languages :).

There's also been a lot of excellent food going around as so many relatives have been coming through town. I've been eating at my grandparents' houses (both sides) frequently and the food is the best! Plus then there is white rice, which is soo good. (We eat brown rice at home. sad face.) As well as going out to Chinese bakeries for bread and egg tarts, dim sum, tofu house, and Kalbi the korean taco truck. om nom nom

Hanging out with my cousins has been filled with a lot of joy and light hearted laughter and included activities like watching DBZ and Taiwan dramas, picking thousands of prunes from our stupid overproductive tree (anyone want some?? that picture is only a small portion of the harvest -_-) and 'mowing' the overgrown lawn with clippers because our lawn mower is broken (the worst!), which has shaken me out of my post-trek stupor some. And I've discovered also that speaking Chinese (or Chinglish [Chinese + English]) is extremely life giving.

At this point, I'm in a place where I would love to share about the Trek and Bangkok with you if you are interested. But only if you ask me questions about it and they are not stupid. If you are unsure what classifies as a stupid question, you can ask me before you ask it or consult anyone who has done an urban project. =) Otherwise I would greatly appreciate it if you do ask questions and continue to ask, as it helps me process and remember. And again, I ask for grace because I've discovered I'm an especially awful story teller and share-er. And because the Trek experience isn't something I can share in a nice tied up bow and be over and done with in one conversation. Thanks!

As for what is to come, I start work beginning of October with the SF SPCA (yes the animal police people on animal planet). I have like a vet tech position at the veterinary hospital that sees dogs and cats. Next month I'm going WWOOF-ing with a friend (organic farm hopping, though we probably will not hop).

Okay people who have not posted need to post! How about Mike Wei, Andrew Kao, or Tricky Bruce?

Claudia