Transitory Tourist

For those of you that know me well, you know that I do not wake up easily in the morning. To say this would be an understatement of the century. I really don’t wake up easily in the afternoon either. However, when there is something big happening in the coming day, I usually pop out of bed. Yesterday morning that was definitely the case. I woke up, drove with Carey to the airport, waved generiously goodbye to my #1 supporter and passed through the security screening. Bam! The adventure had begun. I boarded my flight to LAX, which to no one’s surprise I slept the entire four hours. After walking about half a mile to the international terminal in the beautiful California weather, I was in the mecca of true travelers—those I have come to admire in my short travel life. These people travel for business, pleasure, family—you name it, they fly. 13 hour trip? No problem. They bring their infants, their grandmothers, and they do it in style. I, on the other hand, had to throw out a water bottle that I paid $4.50 for—Carey don’t shun me. I had to get a pat down because I wore baggy pants through security. I also bought a crazy expensive salad that will remain priceless. Needless to say, I am no veteran. When I was about to board my flight to Seoul, I began to get pretty nervous and sentimental about leaving home and my friends. I was scared that all this training in how to interact with different cultures would fail me as I began to get a taste of what it is like to be a minority. After getting encouragement from Sarah Chae and Carey, I was still teary. So, for maybe the third time in a long semester, I desperately needed to open my Bible and begin reading its truth. Gosh, I needed it so much. I needed to hear about God’s command for me to be strong and not have a spirit of fear but one that reveals the love and Spirit that I have been given for life. God is good and he was sitting beside me in that terminal. Boarding my first 747 ever was epic! If you didn’t know, I love airports and hotels. This plane was phenomenal. I am easily wowed you could say. I passed the stairwell that led to first class heaven and found my window seat in row 33. I sat next to two college-aged guys named T and Chris. They helped me get through the Korean meals and showed me how to interact with the stewardesses. The guy in front of me was on his way to Phnom Penh to do the exact same thing I am. He is the financial advisor for Somaly Mam, an organization that works to stop sex trafficking for women and children in Cambodia. Maybe Katie, you will work with them?? Wr

(writing now on May 14)

 I boarded my last flight to Bangkok. It was really hilarious. When I showed up at the gate there were over 80 girls around the age of early college dressed like stewardesses. They were all Korean and snapping pictures in their powder blue blazers and skirts. I had no idea what they were there for, but I ended up sitting next to one of them named Diana. She told me that they attend a flight attendant school in Korea and were flying to Bangkok for a 5-day training trip. They actually got to serve different parts of the meals! 

When I finally landed in Thailand, I felt a lurch in my heart. I knew this was a place that would be special. The airport was huge and I slowly made my way through immigration, customs, and grabbed my bags. Cori, one of my supervisors, and Jup, another Thai supervisor, were waiting for me! After a 30 minute taxi (one of the many forms of public transport we take here) ride, we were home. I have my own room and bathroom to myself as of right now. When the other two girls from Asbury get here--we will share. It is a nice room--large--with a big bed and WiFi. I also have the only hot water heater and flush toilet in the house. I am sooo spoiled. After some tears from missing home, I climbed into bed and tried to sleep. Surprisingly, I had no trouble--even though my room is above 80 degrees easy. 

TODAY-my first day in Thailand. I was the ultimate tourist. hands down. here is a quick list of all the things I did today:

1. woke up at 8 am...just because my body is weirded out by this new place and barking dogs at dawn

2. met Hanna--my British housemate

3. left for tourist day

4. boarded a songtam..spelling?...basically a pick-up truck converted into a taxi thing with benches and railings on the back

5. boarded the epic sky train

6. boarded the water taxi

7. saw where the rest of the tourists make their home in deluxe hotels and posh shopping malls along the water

8. bought fried plantains, pad sui..spelling?...a noodle dish, mango sticky rice, and other delicious fruits/treats

9. Boarded a tuk tuk (another smaller taxi type vehicle) and visited the Sleeping Buddha wat...one of many huge Buddhist temples in Bangkok

10.got an hour THAI MASSAGE for $3...amazing!

11. went grocery shopping

12. rented Bridget Jones' Diary

13. about to make dinner and watch the movie

14. BED!!! finally. jet lag...i beat you. hopefully, the true test is apparently tomorrow.

i love you all! more about my feelings and such later...haha

The Journey From 8th Grade

Little did he know--Mr. Duke, assigning our World Geography project. He wanted us to research a country and write a paper containing all of its interesting attributes: its landscape, vegetation, culture, dress, and national flag...things like that. I completed my project and made a beautiful display board--with the help of my mother!--and fell in love with everything about the culture. It was the people's smiles and the diverse landscape all rolled up into one. It was the colors in the food and the exoticism.

In high school, Rachel Looney--a fellow classmate--, lived abroad for a year in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Her parents were missionaries and she got to live there for a year during high school. When she returned for her senior year, I got to hear all about life in Thailand. And my desire to visit or maybe live there grew.

I had a dream that lasted a couple years of high school of being a car photographer in Thailand--literally trying to blend all of my passions into one dreamlike career. Who knows...maybe some day.

My sophomore year of college I almost applied for a study abroad program that Wheaton offers. It was a cultural ecology and environmental awareness trip and although those things are very important, they did not peak my interest like what I am going to do this summer.

So, getting to this year of college, I enrolled in a course entitled Power and Gender in Southeast Asia. It taught me about the role of gender in different contexts overseas. Because it was an upper-level Anthropology course, we were instructed to design our own research project. This assignment was basically the class in a nutshell with the exception of readings we had to complete and discuss every week. This project was my baby for Fall 2010. My topic: Prostitution in Thailand. If you don't know, prostitution in Thailand is a rampant industry. Bangkok is called "The Brothel of Asia" and the industry makes an estimated $5 billion in revenue for the government each year. Although it is illegal, legislation is hard to come by with the invested interest of capital for the country. The whole thing is a complicated mess. People in America want to condemn the industry and its role in subjugating not only women, but children and men as well. However, this industry does provide jobs for women and allows these women to, in turn, support their entire families that are mostly in villages to the north of the capital. To learn more about the industry, I can send you my final product of the class--a 23-page paper. I need to learn more and desire to let this summer be the beginning to a life-long interest in Thailand and prostitution.

So, finally with all the context in place, I am going to Thailand to work with The Well. It is a non-profit organization started and run by Wheaton grads that takes women out of the industry of prostitution and gives them hope for a future. They learn skills and take classes in semester schedules, just like college. They work on crafts that are sold in America for profit. Eventually, these women are helped back to their villages to begin craft businesses on their own and earn revenue for themselves, their families, and hopefully other women in their village, so that they, too, do not need to travel to Bangkok to earn money through prostitution.

My job this summer is a little ambiguous and I like it that way. Well, I will learn to like it that way. I could be teaching or working or just hanging out with the 30 women enrolled in the Well. I will live in an intern house with three permanent workers and two-other interns--recent grads of Asbury University. I am so excited to be in a new place. I feel as if I have missed God a lot this semester. I can't wait to take time to see him in a new city, in a new way.

I was sitting under the stars tonight and it reminded me of the Black Hills. What an incredible journey I had last summer and I can't wait to EMBARK on another one in a week or so.

EMBARK--that is going to be the word of the summer.

Please pray that I finish well at Wheaton. I have to take one more final, check 26 girls out of my floor, pack up my room, watch my boyfriend graduate college, and say lot of goodbyes and do many runs to Target before I can make that flight next Thursday morning. I am not worried. God is in control and has written a phenomenal story that is my life.

The Details

I leave for Thailand from Chicago, IL,  May 12, 2011and will return to Chicago on July 17, 2011.

Here is where you can send snail mail: (It takes about 2 weeks to receive something in the mail.)

Summer Holeman

The Well

75 On Nut 38/1 Sukhumvit 77

Suan Luang, Suan Luang

Bangkok, Thailand 10250

Another form of contact is through Skype! My username is: summerlynnholeman

Finally, I will be checking my e-mail probably everyday, so you can e-mail me at: summer.holeman@my.wheaton.edu

There is also Facebook...

Basically, I will be in contact and I hope you will too. It is a short trip, but I hope to get to experience it with my friends and family all over the world!