A Wonder of the World

K's Papa

One of my favorite memories with my Papa
is reading the funnies together on the sofa.
He's attempting to get my thumb out of my mouth.
I already miss you.

Pics of our Is-land

This reminds me of Arkansas where I'm from.

A nice blend of modernity
and what feels like decades ago in the States.
(except it would be cows instead of water buffalo)

The rice harvest. The fields turn a beautiful golden color.

Yeah, this is a common sight here.
Burning trash is normal as is free roaming cattle.
Anyone want a hamburger?

It's Here!

We thought it would never happen! We thought it would take a miracle! But with God, all things are possible. We received a large packet of Velveeta Cheese and a can of Rotel. Last night, the only words on our lips were "MMM, Mmm!" We give our thanks to our friends Becky and Darril for making it all possible. After 9 long months, our taste buds are happy and tummies full! Gotta love Tex-Mex and cheese dip!

Leaks, Mildew, and Mud. It’s the rainy season!

We have officially experienced the 2 seasons where we live: the hot and HOTTER, and the wet and WETTER. Right now, we’re in the WETTER part of the year. Part of it we have thoroughly enjoyed for several reasons. We have not had to take a bunch of showers a day in order to keep from sweating prefusely. The rainy afternoons make for good naps after language school. If you take a motorbike ride just after a rain shower, you can see the intense tropical green vegetation, the equally vibrant green rice fields, and feel an actual “cooler” breeze. The local young people here love to play in the rain just like we love to play in the snow! Most have never seen snow in their lives, so splashing in the mud puddles and playing soccer in the wet streets is a lot of fun!

The downside of the rainy season is roof leaks, mildew, and muddy streets!

Can anyone guess what’s wrong with this picture of our laundry room (partly outside)??

There’s a mushroom growing out of the cardboard!! (not to mention mold on the wall) Now how does that work?? The other day our language teacher picked some mushrooms out of our friends’ yard and cooked and ate them later that evening! He said people sell them at the market, some of which are relatively expensive. What do ya’ know!

Our Little Farm

Dodi is our watchdog, though we never asked for him. He is constantly sleeping on our front porch. Apparently this was his territory before we moved in. Dogs here are not normal. Many dogs look like they're part dog, part cat or goat! They're dirty, wild, and not domesticated like dogs back in the States. But we've found that Dodi is the closest we've seen to a normal dog. When we come home from running an errand, he will greet us by simply lifting his head a little, while his eyes are still closed, and then once he knows it's us and not some stranger, he returns to his deep sleep. Hmm..not an 'ol yeller, but we'll take him. (our neighbors take care of him)



Merpati birds are very common here. They are beautiful dove-like birds and very friendly. This bird swoops down and hangs out in our yard every day. It has a nest in our neighbor's roof. He often greets our caged rooster (our neighbor's rooster, but it's in our yard).



Ribut, which means "loud", is our rooster who every morning promptly at 6:30am serves as a personal alarm clock for us whether we like it or not. His crow is probably the loudest we have every heard, though our bedroom window is very close to his cage. When we are talking on the phone or to guests, we often have to pause the conversation during one of Ribut's crows because there is no way anyone can hear over the noise! People here take much pride in a rooster who has a good crow.



And our last animal that lives with us is none other than a large pudgy toad we call Tuan Toad, "Mr.Toad". Todd usually waters our lawn and Tuan Toad has a big hole in our yard which serves as his home. Todd says his "hello" by filling up his hole with water so that Tuan Toad will come out!



We think he's probably annoyed because he always has to wait until the water is drained from his hole to get back in. :)

Our New Home

Merry Christmas!

TP Tradisi

As a housewarming gift, our special American friends here decided to surprise us by toilet papering our new home! We explained to our neighbors that this was just a funny "tradisi" or prank that sometimes Americans do to each other. I'm not sure what they thought of it. :)



But it was even more of a surprise to know that the neighborhood kids helped!

"Vroommm!! Vrrooomm!!"

A motor bike is the most common transportation used here. I was a little worried about safety, but for right now, this is the most practical for us. Check out our wheels!



We didn't think we'd ever say this, but "GO LONGHORNS"!! (Gina, this is for you.)
While we are Arkansas Razorback and Horned Frog fans, T had to pick out this lovely burnt orange color which strikingly resembles a little bit of Texas.



T at one of the tallest hills in the city which has a traditional graveyard.

Our Island Culture and Scenery

Hiking 9,000 ft in 2 days, no problem!

Most islands are islands because under the ocean, a volcano erupts and forms land masses at the surface. These masses become fertile islands. The island we live on has the 2nd largest volcano in the country. Many hike to the rim, but no, my husband and his guy friends decide to summit the entire volcano in 2 days. "How?!" you must wonder. It takes several porters, several guides, lots of water, and just pure will power! 'Cause your body 'aint gonna wanna do it!

For those of you who are hikers, you know about "switchbacks"--a way to blaze the path in order to make it a better and easier hike for the hiker, especially when there is high elevation change. But no, the way natives like to blaze the path here, is simply from point A to point B--in other words, straight up!

"This is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life!" exclaimed my husband.

But the group made it. After 2 days, they hiked over 9,000 ft in elevation! Was it worth it? Check out the view.

We ladies are a fan of the helicopter and hope to one day take a smooth ride to the top to check out the view. :)

Climbing a Palm Tree

This past weekend was independence day in our country. One of the games they play during the festivities is called the Palm Tree Climbing Contest. They lube up a palm tree trunk with a thick oily substance, put prizes at the top, and expect you to climb all the way up to claim your prize. Young and old participate in this event. It is quite the experience. We crashed the party and our friend attempted to climb the pole. Needless to say, he didn't get too far. The local people are used to climbing palm trees, just not oily ones. White people are not as flexible and can't quite match up to the locals. It was a great time.

Hairy Fruit?

"Hmmm...it's quite colorful," I thought, as I brushed my fingers over the soft thick hairs of this foreign fruit called "Rambutan," which means "hairy fruit." I was a little hesitant to eat it. Ants like to live in it and personally I like my strawberries and pineapple. But, I dove right in after I peeled the pink layer off. Inside is a sweet and juicy white interior that was absolutely delicious! Needless to say, I didn't have to eat the hairy part! it's just the protective layer of the fruit. This is just one example of the many tropical fruits that I have never seen or eaten. So go to a foreign market and try some Rambutan!

Crossing Over

Katie getting fingerprinted at Immigration!



One way tickets!

We did it! We made the big move and landed at our destination on July 13th. It's been a wild ride so far and we have loved almost every minute of it. I say almost because we have mixed emotions leaving the life we knew (our friends, family, and comfortable life)for the life we are know deciding to embrace on the other side of the world. With new sounds, tastes, smells, people, and land, the common feelings are overwhelment, exitement, and a realization of the challenges ahead. For our first year, the two big challenges are learning the main language and cultural aquisition. We know that we are not alone as we face this mountain. More news and photos to come in a week or so!

Our Journey All Over Before Crossing Over

Our move is less than 6 weeks away, but we have started traveling to visit family and go on a few vacations. Enjoy some photos from our adventures.


The bear that crossed the street we were on!! Good thing we were in a car!


Glacier National Park, Montana






Katie's bro


Crazy Man



An old barn on Katie's grandfather's farmland.



Katie and her brother on top of a bin that holds grain on the farmland.



Todd's recent trip camping in Utah.



He traveled with our friend, Igor. Thanks Igor for letting us stay in your home!

4 Years of Teaching Math & Science

This week Todd will be saying good-bye to his high school students, some of which he has taught for four years straight. The mixed emotions that come when we think of not seeing our friends for at least three years is quite a unique experience: one that will become normal to us. Todd's students recently gathered together to spend time with him before we leave. We received so much encouragement, laughter, and tears. The students have finals tomorrow! Good luck with all the crazy math equations you guys have to solve for Mr. Bates! We love you and have treasured knowing you and being a part of your lives. Keep in touch!