Sophia and Pritish, her friend from India.
"Long live the King"... Thailand is the last working Monarchy.
Tuktuks are a fun way to get around Bangkok.
A diamond-cutting factory. I'm not sure I was supposed to take this picture...
Sophia and Sarah at Thapei gate. Hooray for being with friends.
We rented motorbikes to go up to a pagoda on a mountain.
On the back of our moto. So fun.
Talking theology in the back of a taxi.
Mountain hairpin turns. Such a twisty road!
The view from the top of the mountain.
Ornate pagoda in the fading light of the day.
Monks meditate in front of Buddha.
Hotel room turns into beauty parlor as Sophia cuts my hair.
These elephants danced while a man played music, then caught an apple in its mouth.
Guess what this is ?
Puppets dance realistically to music at a restaurant I went to with friends.
A thanksgiving feast in a village near Chiang Mai... thanking God for the abundant rice harvest.
We went to an umbrella-making factory.
Getting a refreshing drink at a road-side vendor with my friends.
The "walking market"
so many spices!
What a crazy machine--one man plays all the Lanna instruments at once.
Hellllo Buddha.
A movie of fun on motorbikes. What a gorgeous day.
New Years' party at Just Massage
Me with my good friends Hang and Dung.
The next few pictures are from the Koto bike ride. We biked about 60 K through the countryside.
At break time.
some of the "roads" were buuuummmpy!
Rehearsal for the Christmas eve service. (I played my flute)
shadow-puppets of the nativity. so creative!
Christmas party with church friends
Christmas, Vietnamese style!
MCC Christmas party
We SALTers sang a few Christmas songs for the MCC staff
After dinner we sat around and sang both Western and Vietnamese songs. :)
Lunch party with MCC staff.
Before the Christmas eve service at the Hilton
candlelight! my favorite!
our little ensemble. I'm hiding somewhere in the back.
Rachel and I ride a cyclo for the first time in Vietnam (most popular for tourists)... Christmas eve traffic was insane!
making Christmas cookies on Christmas day at the MCC rep's house
Christmas lunch
Decorating (and eating) the cookies
My host dad lights the candles for my host sister's birthday
the birthday girl!
