Harvesting Laughter

It’s funny living in another culture where you don’t know the language. This kind of life takes spontaneity to a whole new level. The people around you know what’s going on, but you sure don’t. What’s even better is when you think you figured out what they were trying to tell you and you think you know what’s going on. That is the continual theme of Lynne’s and my (Lynne and I’s… I don’t know) homestay. It definitely makes life so much more comical when we make up either where we are going, what we are doing, what’s going on around us, or what people are saying. Let me tell you, this puts us into fits of laughter and possibly suspicious giggling. If you have ever watched a TV show in another language, being unsure of what they are saying, but using the facial expressions and hand motions to make up the story, that’s what Lynne and I do on a daily basis. Needless to say, we laugh a LOT. And our family and friends here love it. We are all just a laughing mess. I wonder if they do the same thing.

We most definitely have some stories we could share about these experiences and our attempts at guessing everything. Quite often we end up doing something really random with our family. Recently, we took an adventure all decked out in some rice farming attire. That includes long sleeve shirts and some obnoxious hats with fabric hanging down to protect your neck from the sun. “We’re going to go pick rice!” So off we go in the back of our “dad’s” Toyota. We turn on some backroad and end up stopping at a wooden shelter of poles and a roof. A man and wife are sitting beneath it and before too long, we join them. As we sit there, Lynne and I begin our game of guessing. It’s too funny. And as the people laugh at us attempting Thai words or just acting silly, we are laughing at the conversations they are having via our mouths. Before too long, other people stop by and we are all just laughing at each other. Oh, the gift of laughter- may we never take it for granted. I have been reminded while being here that I cannot be so afraid of messing up that I don’t live life and get to know people. That’s been a great reminder and a great motivator to keep me stepping out of that comfort zone. Outside the comfort zone can bring a lot of laughter.  

Well, to finish the story, we never ended up picking rice. Instead we drove around all the rice fields and our “dad” ended up climbing a tree to pick some fruit (super sour and for sure an acquired taste). So I guess the hats were just for the trip there? Or maybe for them to get a good laugh. I wouldn’t be surprised by much when I’m living in another culture where I don’t know the language. 

AND in case you were wondering, which you probably weren’t, I got to climb the tree as well. Of course I wouldn’t pass up tree climbing!

That’s all for now… At least all that I will be sharing on the internet. Lynne and I will keep on laughing it up.

I can now check Rice Farmer Modeling off my bucket list.

This is Lynne and I in our rice farmer outfits, in front of rice fields that lay in the foreground of the beautiful mountains... But "mom's" finger must've gotten in the way. Oops!

"Mom" and Lynne workin it!