Tina in Thailand

You should be anxiously engaged in a good cause,   and do many things of your own free will,   and bring to pass much righteousness;   For the power is in you,   wherein you are an agent unto yourself.   And inasmuch as you do good   you shall in nowise lose your reward.   (Doctrine & Covenants 58:27-28, alt.) As I sat down to craft this week’s blog post, this scripture came to my mind. Before my Fulbright Scholar assignment, I had resolved to engage myself in various worthy causes while in Thailand, embracing every meaningful opportunity presented to me beyond the scope of my primary purpose (research). Since my arrival, I've enthusiastically said “yes” to numerous causes, including teaching assignments, volunteering at the orphanage, and even joining the volleyball team. I didn't anticipate, however, that amidst these amazing opportunities, I would be invited to embark on a new kind of engagement. Two weeks ago, Chris Smith proposed to ...

Hello everyone.  My name is Chris Smith.  I live in Provo and have been dating Tina for ten months.  A very enjoyable ten months.  She was kind enough to invite me to visit her in Thailand.  I spent 17 days with her and have just returned to Utah.     This was my first visit to Thailand.  Little did I know that April is their hottest month of the year. Temperatures were consistently above 100 degrees, with high humidity.  We didn’t complain though, nor do the Thai people, many without air conditioning in their homes.   I’m not a big seafood lover, nor do I typically eat spicy food.  On both accounts, I quickly learned I needed to embrace Thai cuisine or go hungry.  Somehow squid seemed to show up at every meal.   Tom Yum Soup With Seafood (including squid) Tina and I thought we might rent a car during my stay, but we quickly realized that it was not needed.  Taxi service is readily available and very inexpensive....

Back in the 1960s, the Tourism Authority of Thailand affectionately dubbed its country as “The Land of Smiles” to attract tourists. This campaign worked its magic swiftly, alongside other initiatives such as the 2002 Global Thai Program, a remarkably successful endeavor in gastrodiplomacy – involving government support to establish Thai restaurants worldwide, boosting brand recognition, and fostering diplomatic ties. Annually, tourism in Thailand has soared exponentially, from approximately 1 million international tourists in 1970 to a whopping 40 million in 2022. However, for me, Pad Thai and Gaeng Massaman are secondary reasons for falling in love with Thailand. It's the people who steal the show. Ever wondered why the Tourism Authority chose “The Land of Smiles” as its moniker? Perhaps it’s because of the people: their hospitality, gratitude, kindness, respect for others, peaceful ways of living in the world, and their inherent friendliness. And as I mentioned in an earlier blog...