diff --git a/rethinkdb-client-driver.cabal b/rethinkdb-client-driver.cabal
--- a/rethinkdb-client-driver.cabal
+++ b/rethinkdb-client-driver.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                   rethinkdb-client-driver
-version:                0.0.16
+version:                0.0.17
 license:                MIT
 license-file:           LICENSE
 author:                 Tomas Carnecky
diff --git a/src/Database/RethinkDB/Types.hs b/src/Database/RethinkDB/Types.hs
--- a/src/Database/RethinkDB/Types.hs
+++ b/src/Database/RethinkDB/Types.hs
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE DeriveGeneric         #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE TypeFamilies          #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE FlexibleInstances     #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleContexts      #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE FlexibleInstances     #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE GADTs                 #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings     #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE MultiParamTypeClasses #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings     #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE TypeFamilies          #-}
 
 module Database.RethinkDB.Types where
 
@@ -128,7 +128,14 @@
     parseResponse = responseAtomParser
 
 
+instance FromResponse Char where
+    parseResponse = responseAtomParser
 
+instance FromResponse [Char] where
+    parseResponse = responseAtomParser
+
+
+
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- | For strings, we're using the Haskell 'Text' type.
 
@@ -339,12 +346,18 @@
     -- their values into constants.
 
 
+    MkArray :: [Exp a] -> Exp (Array a)
+    -- Create an array from a list of expressions. This is an internal function,
+    -- you should use 'lift' instead.
+
+
     --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     -- Database administration
 
     ListDatabases  :: Exp (Array Text)
     CreateDatabase :: Exp Text -> Exp Object
     DropDatabase   :: Exp Text -> Exp Object
+    WaitDatabase   :: Exp Database -> Exp Object
 
 
     --------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -353,6 +366,7 @@
     ListTables     :: Exp Database -> Exp (Array Text)
     CreateTable    :: Exp Database -> Exp Text -> Exp Object
     DropTable      :: Exp Database -> Exp Text -> Exp Object
+    WaitTable      :: Exp Table -> Exp Object
 
 
     --------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -360,13 +374,13 @@
 
     ListIndices    :: Exp Table -> Exp (Array Text)
 
-    CreateIndex    :: Exp Table -> Exp Text -> (Exp Object -> Exp Datum) -> Exp Object
+    CreateIndex    :: (IsDatum a) => Exp Table -> Exp Text -> (Exp Object -> Exp a) -> Exp Object
     -- Create a new secondary index on the table. The index has a name and a
     -- projection function which is applied to every object which is added to the table.
 
     DropIndex      :: Exp Table -> Exp Text -> Exp Object
     IndexStatus    :: Exp Table -> [Exp Text] -> Exp (Array Object)
-    WaitIndex      :: Exp Table -> [Exp Text] -> Exp Object
+    WaitIndex      :: Exp Table -> [Exp Text] -> Exp (Array Object)
 
 
     Database       :: Exp Text -> Exp Database
@@ -480,7 +494,10 @@
     toTerm (Constant datum) =
         toTerm $ toDatum datum
 
+    toTerm (MkArray xs) =
+        simpleTerm 2 (map SomeExp xs)
 
+
     toTerm ListDatabases =
         noargTerm 59
 
@@ -490,7 +507,10 @@
     toTerm (DropDatabase name) =
         simpleTerm 58 [SomeExp name]
 
+    toTerm (WaitDatabase db) =
+        simpleTerm 177 [SomeExp db]
 
+
     toTerm (ListTables db) =
         simpleTerm 62 [SomeExp db]
 
@@ -500,7 +520,10 @@
     toTerm (DropTable db name) =
         simpleTerm 61 [SomeExp db, SomeExp name]
 
+    toTerm (WaitTable table) =
+        simpleTerm 177 [SomeExp table]
 
+
     toTerm (ListIndices table) =
         simpleTerm 77 [SomeExp table]
 
@@ -723,6 +746,14 @@
     type Simplified Double = Double
     lift = Constant
 
+instance Lift Exp Char where
+    type Simplified Char = Char
+    lift = Constant
+
+instance Lift Exp String where
+    type Simplified String = String
+    lift = Constant
+
 instance Lift Exp Text where
     type Simplified Text = Text
     lift = Constant
@@ -747,6 +778,10 @@
     type Simplified (Array Datum) = (Array Datum)
     lift = Constant
 
+instance Lift Exp [Exp a] where
+    type Simplified [Exp a] = Array a
+    lift = MkArray
+
 instance Lift Exp (Exp a -> Exp r) where
     type Simplified (Exp a -> Exp r) = Exp r
     lift f = Function $ do
@@ -800,6 +835,8 @@
 type instance Result Text            = Text
 type instance Result Double          = Double
 type instance Result Int             = Int
+type instance Result Char            = Char
+type instance Result String          = String
 type instance Result Bool            = Bool
 type instance Result ZonedTime       = ZonedTime
 
diff --git a/src/Database/RethinkDB/Types/Datum.hs b/src/Database/RethinkDB/Types/Datum.hs
--- a/src/Database/RethinkDB/Types/Datum.hs
+++ b/src/Database/RethinkDB/Types/Datum.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP                   #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE OverlappingInstances  #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE DeriveGeneric         #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeFamilies          #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleInstances     #-}
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@
 import           Control.Monad
 
 import           Data.Text           (Text)
+import qualified Data.Text           as T
 import           Data.Time
 import           Data.Scientific
 import           Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
@@ -259,6 +261,33 @@
 instance FromDatum Int where
     parseDatum (Number x) = pure $ floor x
     parseDatum _          = fail "Int"
+
+
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- Char
+
+instance ToDatum Char where
+    toDatum = String . T.singleton
+
+instance FromDatum Char where
+    parseDatum (String x) =
+        if T.compareLength x 1 == EQ
+            then pure $ T.head x
+            else fail "Expected a string of length 1"
+    parseDatum _ = fail "Char"
+
+
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- [Char] (aka String)
+
+instance ToDatum [Char] where
+    toDatum = String . T.pack
+
+instance FromDatum [Char] where
+    parseDatum (String x) = pure $ T.unpack x
+    parseDatum _          = fail "String"
 
 
 
diff --git a/test/Test.hs b/test/Test.hs
--- a/test/Test.hs
+++ b/test/Test.hs
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@
     -- and the server responds with what the driver expects.
     describe "roundtrips" $ do
         describe "primitive values" $ do
+            it "Char" $ property $ \(x :: Char) ->
+                monadic $ ((Right x)==) <$> run h (lift x)
+            it "String" $ property $ \(x :: String) ->
+                monadic $ ((Right x)==) <$> run h (lift x)
             it "Double" $ property $ \(x :: Double) ->
                 monadic $ ((Right x)==) <$> run h (lift x)
             it "Text" $ property $ \(x :: Text) ->
@@ -139,3 +143,7 @@
 
             res <- run h $ call1 (3*) (lift a)
             return $ res == (Right $ a * 3)
+
+    describe "lifts" $ do
+        it "[Exp a]" $ property $ \(xs :: [Datum]) -> monadic $ do
+            expectSuccess h (lift (map lift xs :: [Exp Datum])) (V.fromList xs)