Thai Experience

Last night our bible study decided to ditch regularly scheduled programming and go to an authentic Thai restaurant as a group. This was inspired by Will and Amanda who went to Thailand last December for their honeymoon and ended up extending their stay because of the tsunami. While there, they acquired a taste for genuine (vs. Americanized) Thai food and wanted the rest of us to have an authentic Thai food experience as well. It was lots of fun. Kevin liked everything. I liked most everything. Two of the guys in our study, who are very picky eaters, only liked the steamed rice.

Will and Amanda’s story is actually quite remarkable. And it’s fun to hear Will talk about their Thailand adventures because of his thick accent (he’s from the UK). Apparently the tsunami took place on the last day of their honeymoon as they sat in their hotel lobby. The wave overtook their hotel, completely demolished it, and swept Will and Amanda 900 yards into the ocean. Miraculously (basically, inexplicably) they ended up bobbing up in the water only a few yards from each other. They had each experienced severe trauma (shattered bones, Will’s ear was severed, etc.) but somehow (God) they managed to hang onto each other and the debris until a boat picked them up. From that point on, getting to shore was a James-Bond-like experience. Apparently they watched many boats around them explode – and changed boats themselves several times, just in the nick of time – as aftershock waves carried them back to shore. They spent five weeks recovering in a hospital and were sent back to the states only when it was finally safe for them to travel. All their possessions were lost except for a small handbag someone had found among debris and returned to them. At the end of their breathtaking story, the rest of us agreed that they should sell the rights to Hollywood and make a mint. It would make an incredible action movie.

They also told us about how indescribably amazing the beaches are in Thailand – most of the western world has yet to discover its virgin beauty. And also how incredibly cheap it is to vacation there. A personal taxi for the day is $1. A two hour massage is $10. All you can eat cuisine, drinks, etc. is $3. We’ve all decided we want to go to Thailand next summer and live like kings and queens for a week. Let’s just pray that our trip is less eventful than Will and Amanda’s inaugural trip. Adventure and excitement, yes. Tsunamis we can live without.