THE BIG EXAM
It sounded as if the voice was coming from underwater. I strained to hear what was being said. Was it even Thai? I could feel the sweat breaking out on my face and my palms getting wet as I felt the panic rising. Four agonising minutes later, the Thai language examiner reached across the desk and switched off the recording. I glanced down at the few illegible words I had scrawled on my notepad and my heart sank. My level 3 language exam had gotten off to a wobbly start! But as the recording played through for the second time, and I was able to keep my panic in check, I realised that it was indeed Thai and I was actually hearing and understanding whole sentences, not just a word here and there. This time when the language examiner switched off the recording my page was full of notes, some of which I could even read and I was able tell her, in some detail, what I had heard.
The next 4 hours were spent listening, reading and speaking Thai – the final verdict: a pass! The following day, after 2 hours of written examination, my level 3 exam was finally over. Although we will always be language students in this country, this marks the end 4 years of formal Thai language study for me and closes one chapter in my life as a career missionary.
THE BIG MOVE
A 1940 model Hino truck pulled up outside the house in a cloud of black smoke and with a loud grinding of gears. The back of the truck looked and smelt as if it had last been used to convey pigs to the market. The rain started pouring. Four Thai guys clambered out of the truck and hoisted a grease-stained tarpaulin over the back and then stood back in horror as they surveyed the pile of furniture and boxes awaiting transportation to the storage house. These foreigners must be crazy!
- “Have you seen the thingymajing that goes on top of the whatchamacallit?” Nick called from upstairs. “I think its been packed in box number 7,” replied Trish.
- “Mommy, my bed’s gone, where am I going to sleep?”
- “I’m putting this shirt of yours in the ‘junk’ pile,” declared Trish. “What! Are you crazy? That’s my favourite shirt!” “But you haven’t worn it in 4 years!”
- “Emily, for the 100th time, stop taking your toys out of that box that we’ve already packed!”
- “No, your train tracks CANNOT go to
- “Aaargh! We’ve run out of @#$%* tape again!”
- “Nick, I’m sure that guy carrying our computer is drunk!” “No, he’s just hung-over.”
“So Nick: when are you going to do your preparation for the RUC camp, the missions weekend, Bruce’s wedding, and for your last Thai sermon?”
Nick: “Ummm… tomorrow…?”
