THAI-BOUND: MEG-ABROAD UPDATE
(Note: There are ooodles of images in this blog entry. If they don't come through for you, simply visit our blog home page at http://clavierfamily.blogspot.com )

OUR MEGAN HAS ARRIVED SAFELY in Bangkok!!! YAY!!! After many long hours on airplanes from Pittsburgh to Bangkok, she gmail e-messaged with me at 2am Bangkok time. (Thailand is exactly 12 hours behind us)

On her flight from Detroit to Tokyo, she enjoyed meeting a retired political science professor. Then, from Tokyo to Bangkok she met a gal from Bangkok who took her to dinner, for her first real Thai meal, and on to her hotel. Though she was wide awake from the excitement, she was already gleeeee-fully telling me how wonderful everything was.

"my flights went really well"

"then from tokyo to bangkok i sat with a 20 year thai girl...made friends...
then she and her friends gave me a ride... took me to her dads restaraunt and then drove me to my hotel...Super nice!...had some authentic thai, at MIDNIGHT, no less!"

"its crazy!... its so different, and the people are really nice!"

"there's a big sky train that runs through all of the city, huge malls and bill borads... and... lots of wild dogs and homeless people... its 2 am and you would think its 11 am!"

More chat a few hours later

"just took an extra long ride out of town to get my bus ticket tonight
all taken care of, and am back at the hotel... but only a 150 baht taxi ride... about 3 dollars"

"the ladies at the hotel are holding my backpack for me. They speak English, but I dont think everyone else does... so far communication has been somewhat difficult with everyone else... hopefully my bus will take me to the right place!"

"now, im scouting out the hotel lobby area for someone who might want to go around town.... oh, and i have a map as well... there are so many little shops you would love it"

"I'm taking lots of pictures so dont worry...I will load them all up after I get to mae sot tonight... and OH YEAH... its SUPER hot and humid... you would hate that part! But, there are tons of backpackers here!"

"I'll have to send you the big long email once I am to Mae sot and i have unlimited time to tell you everything so far"

"one funny little story though... I had to take the taxi to mo chit the bus station. He doesnt speak english, but we figured it out. Well, he asked if i was going back to where I came from, and I said yes... so he handed me a pen (I super confused at first) Well, what this was about...he was going to wait for me, and since I had his pen I HAD to come back to him!!! So funny!"

"I had great food at Pare's dad's restaraunt last night. I had spicy meat with sticky white rice, then fried rice with chicken, and of course a coke... This morning i had eggs toast orange juice and tea. It cost me all of $1.50!?"

"took my very 'european styled' shower last night... no shower, just a showerhead next to the toilet and sink with a drain in the middle of the room"

As you can see, things seem to be going very well so far, and I'm greatly looking forward to showing off the pictures she's taken. Megan should be wheeling her way toward Mae Sot and the Burma Border Project, as I type.

WORLD GEOGRAPHY 101

Below is a map of Megan's journey. To see the map in more detail, simply put your cursor over the picture and click on your mouse.

As you can imagine, I'm one very happy mum, having now heard from our Megan. She'll be arriving in Mae Sot about 5am Thai time. She'll make her way to her new abode, and meet in person, Danielle Fox, one of the directors of Burma Border Projects. If you visit our blog home page, you'll find links on the right hand column of the page, directing you to the BBP website. DO visit the blog home page often, as there's more information then what you receive in your blog update emails. http://clavierfamily.blogspot.com

GEARING UP

Fr. Tony and I continue to gear up for next Monday's round of chemo. Tony's doing surprisingly well, and we're awfully thankful for it. His appetite is good, his energy level is good enough for him to go into work every day, including today..... HIS DAY OFF! grin

ON A MORE EXCITING NOTE

AMERICA'S ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND!!!

When: May 11 - 13, 2007

Where: Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown Settlement & Anniversary Park

Some of you may be aware that there's a big celebration in the making. OUR United States of America will be celebrating its 400th anniversary, in Jamestown, VA. "The founding of Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 by three small ships and 104 English adventurers was a journey that changed the world. This FIRST permanent English settlement in the Americas gave birth to our nation's most cherished legacies - democracy, cultural diversity, free enterprise and its spirit of exploration." To learn more, visit the official celebration website at http://www.americas400thanniversary.org This is very exciting, indeed!

DID YOU KNOW???

Anglicanism (part of the world wide anglican communion, and our little ole Episcopal church) was brought to the New World by explorers and colonists with the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. We have a photo of Tony taken where the first altar stood, in the Jamestown settlement. I'll have to find it for you all.

Robert Hunt (c. 1568-1608), clergyman of the Church of England, was Chaplain of the expedition that founded Jamestown, Virginia. The expedition included people from Old Heatherfield, East Sussex, England. Reverend Hunt had become the Vicar of Heatherfield, County of Sussex, in 1602, which title he held as Chaplain of the Jamestown Settlement. He had been Vicar of Reculrer, County of Kent, England, 1594-1602. He lit the candle for the Anglican Church in Virginia (United States); he first lifted his voice in public thanksgiving and prayer on April 29, 1607, when the settlers planted a cross at Cape Henry, which they named after the Prince of Wales.

Once settled in the fort, the whole company, except those who were on guard, attended regular prayer and services led by Reverend Hunt. Captain John Smith described worship services that took place in the open air until a chapel could be erected. Captain Smith's religious feelings were conventional but deeply felt. His piety asserted itself in his writings constantly; he saw the hand of God at work in his life, and he believed it had intervened to save the colonies. "He concluded that God, who had thwarted Spanish attempts to settle North America, had reserved that Region for the Protestant English." (excerpted from the Colonial National Historic Park: Jamestown Historic briefs)

So, why are we so excited about the upcoming celebration? Well, Fr. Tony has been asked to write a 3000 word essay on the history of the Anglican church in Jamestown! He's already begun laying the ground work for the booklet.