First Block! Monday, August 29, 2011

Today was the first day of my first block called Foundations. Today was also the day we were assigned our Thai professor and class for the rest of the month! Big day! I got Ajan (professor) Sitan. Last week we were randomly put into classes of five and every day, we had a different professor. At the end of the week, the professors discussed who worked best with each one. I am SO happy to be in Ajan Sitan’s class. She is absolutely hilarious and almost like a grandmother. She is so active and entertaining. However , Thai class was still a bit overwhelming because we have to now learn how to read and write and can no longer write phonetically.

The second half of the day was Foundations. Today was pretty quick and definitely dense but he said it won’t be so bad in the future. I wish I paid more attention in AP World History in high school, though.

So, after school the Rot Deng (red taxi) takes us to Gat Luang (the big market). I decided to suck up a little and buy my family a papaya. Apparently the families LOVE when you bring home fruit. So, the whole way home, I practiced how I would tell them I bought the papaya at the market for them. In the end, I said it correctly! YAY! 

Today, when I got home, I decided I would try out my new language skills regardless of how confident I really felt. I think this worked out for the best. Meh and Nong Not helped me out with my reading and translating. I think they are more entertained by me than anything else. Paw just went to sleep.

More to come! Happy end of summer!! A part of me is definitely pining for some CC lovin’...

Weekend with the family…August 28, 2011

I was definitely nervous for the weekend. This was the first time I would be solely with my family Friday evening through Monday morning. This weekend was a bit rough.

Friday night I felt sick the entire night and was up sporadically throughout the night. I will spare you all details. My family must have noticed because when I woke up the next morning they asked ‘you stomach okay?’ By morning, I felt much better. So, I said I felt fine. Mem made me a very digestible breakfast of rice and eggs. The rest of the day was very low key. Paw let me do some painting which was really nice. He said he liked them, which I take to heart since he is an art professor! Later in the day, we went on another bike ride. This one was a bit less intense than the last one to the dam. But, it still tired me out and I slept very soundly Saturday night which was nice because it was the first night I slept completely through the night since being here! YAY!

Today I was hoping my family would take me out to see Chiang Mai (or anywhere, really). Unfortunately, they had no such plans. At  one point I texted a couple friends and asked what they had done with their host families so I could think of something to ask my family to do with me. Sure enough, everyone was going to the Walking Market in the Old City of Chiang Mai. I asked Paw if we could go and he said it was too hot and the sun was too strong…I would get a sunburn! So, he said maybe later. And then, he set me up to paint some more. Eventually, he said it was time for lunch. I am rarely hungry here…which is weird but it is just too hot all the time and I am ALWAYS being fed.

So, we head to Meh’s house and then off to a little house in the village that serves Pad Thai. The lady serving us was speaking Thai to me so I could practice. This is when Paw first told me he thought I would fail Thai class…motivation at its finest. Paw then took me to a friends house who has a daughter that is 16. She and her mother spoke to me in Thai also. I don’t think Paw realized how little I know and that I can’t really keep a conversation going. I am HOPING that I learn a lot this week. All four of us then went to a little market/fair. Basically, there were a few food stands and some games and contests. The mother was hilarious and kept trying to play this game where you throw a spinning top. She then wanted me to try. Neither of us  could do it. Paw said it was time to go so we could pick up Nong Not. So, we head out to her friend’s house to get her and head off to another market where I would get another sarong.

Unfortunately this market was not the one I wanted to go to. But, it was still pretty cool. We got some food and I got a sarong which my aunt later sewed for me (she is a seamstress). Nong Not got this SCARY looking bug that is probably the length of my thumb as a pet, I later found out.  It is tied to stick of bamboo so it can’t pinch or fly away. Seems like a very happy insect. Poor creature. But, he’s our new pet. Yay!

Now, for the rough part of the weekend… On the way to the market, Paw told me he thought we should learn some Thai BEFORE coming to Thailand. I suppose that makes sense. But, I think he is starting to get a little annoyed by how little I know seeing as though I have only taken four days of class. He then said that Mem thought I was sad! This makes me feel HORRIBLE. I asked why he thought that. He told me that it is because I don’t talk a lot and I sit by myself sometimes. This is true. I have had a lot of alone time this weekend because I haven’t really had anything to do. So, this evening I made sure to be around the family ALL the time and I tried to talk more. But, when I did, Paw just told me that I kept making mistakes and that he thought I’d make the same ones again tomorrow. So, needless to say, this evening has been a bit difficult and I am really going to try even harder to learn! I NEED to get it right! Thai is very difficult but hopefully I’ll get better.

Goodnight! Or Good morning to you all!

Rockclimbing+ …Friday, August 26, 2011

I am completely beat from today’s adventures. So, this post may be a bit shorter than usual. Although, I’ll probably think of too much to say and just keep writing hah.

Today was our first time in the mountains of Chiang Mai and they are absolutely beautiful. Todays activities included rock climbing, caving, and repelling. My group started with the caving. Last night it rained all night and continued into the morning for a little while. Needless to say, the mountains were particularly muddy and we weren’t sure we would be able to rockclimb because the rocks would be too slippery. Luckily, my group didn’t climb until the afternoon so it had dried up!

Caving was awesome! The caves here are unbelievable. Some we had to crawl to get in so we got REALLY muddy. It was awesome. The insides are very wet and stalagmites and stalagtites grow so it is very beautiful. We learned that during rainy season, monks would come into these caves to meditate for months on end. In Buddhism, it is very immoral and unlawful (?) to kill any living being. During rainy season, there are tons of bugs and critters on the ground. So through meditating in the caves during the months of the rainy season, they wouldn’t risk killing any living being. Sounds a little crazy to me, but who am I to judge?

After visiting some awesome caves, we were told we would be repelling ourselves down a 100 meter cave. I am afraid of heights so this was a huge accomplishment for me and my group was so supportive and motivating! We had to climb up to the top of the cave. Then we unhooked from the rope and got hooked onto another. When we reached the top, we could immediately see the drop. We were SO high! We then got instructions. We were to “zip line” across the drop (about 30 meters?) to the other wall of the cave. We were then to hook onto the repel rope and repel ourselves down to the ground. I almost cried. I was so nervous. But, it was AWESOME! I think this feeling of anxiety followed by an awesome feeling of accomplishment is going to be pretty consistent throughout this trip. My camera isn’t very good, unfortunately, but hopefully I will steal some of my friend’s pictures and post them up at some point!

After repelling, we ate lunch and then went rock climbing. Mel and I had to wait a long time for our turn to climb but it was worth it. We climbed a pretty hard route (can’t remember the ratings but they are different in Thai than in America). Mel climbed first and I belayed. Then it was my turn. I have climbed in gyms but never on real rock. It is way more fun. But also extremely nerve wracking. I got up most of the way, and then I got really nervous and fell. So after that, I started shaking and knew I had to come down because I would just keep falling at that point. I was a little bummed but realized that I had gotten MUCH farther than I ever would have at any other time so I am proud of myself for that. I am slowly conquering this annoying fear of heights! We are going to try to go back sometime to climb again. It’s a great sport and I think once I get passed the mental block, I will really enjoy it!

So, by the end of the day, I was exhausted. We had to hire a taxi/bus to take us home because the yellow ones in the market stop running at 6pm but it was great because I got home much faster. I was completely disgusting and just physically very dirty but we went straight to Meh’s house for dinner. I wasn’t hungry so I only at a little even though my aunt kept trying to make me eat more! Eventually they realized I was exhausted and sent me and Paw home so I could shower and sleep. So, now I am going to sleep! I still haven’t been able to sleep through the night! So I am hoping tonight will be my night haha. I am beat AND I have a fan! Life is good! J

Hope all is well at home! I check email pretty consistently during the week and my email address is caseysalexander@gmail.com. Also, if you want to send me mail, you can send it to:

Casey Alexander

ISDSI

PO Box 222

Phra Singh, Muang

Chiang Mai, 50205

THAILAND

Of course, I would LOVE to mail!!!

MADE IT!! First week! August 25, 2011

Remember how much I LOVED crossfit?…well…it is HARD! I have never sweat or worked so hard in my life. Yesterday we had optional training so I did it. We sprinted, did a TON of squats, sit ups, push ups, and pull ups, and sprinted again. These workouts are made to be short but INTENSE and intense they are. Today was more complicated and much harder! I would have to draw a picture to explain so I’m just going to leave it to you to imagine. But everyone was drenched with sweat and no one could speak, we were so beat! Safe to say, I am going to be in great shape at the end of this. I now have a love/hate relationship with crossfit. 

Yesterday (Wednesday, August 24), we had our city orientation after Thai class. City orientation was actually a scavenger hunt! We were put into teams of 3 or 4 and sent around the city with our cameras and had to take certain pictures to prove we went to certain places or did certain things! They gave us 1000 baht (about $30) which paid for all our transportation and costs! By the way, just to prove how cheap everything is here, I pay 35 baht (~$1) to get home which is two and an hour and a half. Anyways, back to the scavenger hunt… 

We had to go to Gat Luang (the huge market that I switch taxis/buses) and buy a sarong and eat bugs/fruit with picture proof. I had already  eaten crickets but this time was way harder…I think its because last time I was trying to impress my family. We then had to go to the famous gate, the hospital (and take a picture with a hospital worker!), chiang mai university, the mall and a temple! We made it everywhere except the university! It was so HOT so we got ice cream and, embarrassingly, stopped in Starbucks to get a frappaccino (sp?).  Our excuse was to get the taste of bugs out…SUE ME! Haha. If you were wondering, starbucks is more expensive here! 

The scavenger hunt was a lot of fun! I’ll try to get the pictures from Isabel’s camera and post them at some point. They are pretty funny.  I also feel like I know the city a little better.

Today, we just had a gear check after Thai class and crossfit. Then we headed home. I really appreciate being at school and always look forward to it! I love my host family but it is nice to be with people I can easily relate to. And, the toilets are western style. AND we have wireless! I know that sounds bad…but I have learned to REALLY appreciate all those things. The teachers are also WONDERFUL and great teachers. I can already speak to my host family a bit! The most useful phrase is ‘im leaow’, which means ‘I’m full!’ They LOVE to feed me. Apparently some host families weigh their student before and after the stay. If they have gained weight, the host family did their job well! Luckily, mine did no such thing.

Speaking of food. I have a funny story about both last night and tonight! Paw Peap always tells me which foods I can eat that aren’t spicy. So, yesterday I asked if I could try a spicy dish. He said ‘no…not the first week.’ I  then asked ‘why’? Paw said that a few years ago he had a student who ate too much spicy foods in the first week and had to go to the hospital! So, today I asked again if I could try some. Paw said ‘nit noi’, which means only a little! And he only let me have two beans! While I was helping myself, Meh runs to get me water! They have very little faith in me. To their surprise, I could handle two beans!! Also, after dinner tonight, Paw said ‘maybe next week you eat more.’ I eat so much!  I had a whole bowl of rice with the toppings AND then Meh whips out so Pad Thai (yes…everyone loves pad thai and yes…it IS better here!). I am so full right now. IMLEAOW! 

Ok I should sleep because tomorrow I get up at 5:45 so I can be at school on time to head to the mountains to go rock climbing! Ready to conquer my fear of heights along with MANY other fears.

Speaking of fears…(I know, I never stop when I say im going to, I keep thinking of more!) Everyone knows I am petrified of mice. Last night at dinner, we were eating on the floor as usual. The kitchen is across the way in the direction I was facing. All of a sudden, I see three mice chasing each other around the floor in what I would call, a figure eight form. TOO BOLD! I yelped a bit, subconsciously, and my family asked what was wrong! I said nothing because I was embarrassed but I was apparently staring, horrified, as the mice continued to run around the house. Paw realized and they all laughed at me. They told me it was just Micky….I said NO WAY! But, when I see mice, that is what I tell myself. YIKES!

Ok ok. Much love!! 

First Days of School – Monday/Tuesday, August 22&23, 2011

Today was only my second day at school.  I honestly can’t believe it. I feel like I have been at school for at least a week and that I have been in Thailand for weeks, if not months (I learned how to say that in Thai today!). I haven’t even been in the country for a full week! WHAAAAAAAAA??

Anyways, yesterday I woke up at about 4:30 in the morning and couldn’t fall back asleep…AGAIN! I have major sleep problems here because my room doesn’t have AC or a fan and there are mosquitoes biting me throughout the night! AND there are tons of animals outside making ridiculously loud, obnoxious noises. Tonight I asked Paw for a fan so HOPEFULLY I’ll sleep through the night! I have a new appreciation for fans.

So, I get up for school at 6am, take a quick shower (Paw makes me shower twice a day…Thais shower at least 2x a day), put on my uniform, and go to the kitchen to help Meh make/set up breakfast. Yesterday we had our standard bowl of rice and a WHOLE fish, sushi, and vegetables. Breakfast here is a little overwhelming. So, Paw Peap and I eat breakfast and head off to ISDSI. When we get there, we had some orientation and then split into small groups for our 4 hour long Thai class. For the first week, we will be in these groups and the professors rotate by day. I am not sure what will happen next week but I know the groups switch up. We learn numbers and some phrases on Monday. OVERWHELMING! Then we had orientation, which was pretty standard…nothing too exciting. Finally, at 4pm it was time to go home. Me and about 7 others (THANKFULLY) walked to the superhighway to wave down a taxi/bus. We got home about an hour and a half later. My only issue with the long commute is the exhaust from all the vehicles and the resulting headache. But, we have a great group so it is a fun ride! Today (day 2), we had a study session on the taxi, which was really helpful!

Today was a little different than yesterday. Today, we had crossfit training. Crossfit is worldwide and very cool (look it up). We train at least twice a week but are allowed everyday which I will definitely take advantage of. Anyways, I wake up at 6am and follow the routine. We had finished breakfast at 7am (on my watch) so I asked Paw if we should go since we were just sitting there. He said, ‘no…we have 5 minit.’ I showed him my watch, which said 7am, and he says ‘ayyyyy, my time wrong’…so we get in the car. Since day one, everytime we drive anywhere, Paw says the license plate numbers out loud and makes me repeat them…for every car. Today, I actually understood! So I get to school. Thai class was even more overwhelming today. We started learning the alphabet. I can’t even begin to explain how complicated it is. It isn’t just “letters”…I am trying to think of a short way to explain it and I just cant. Maybe once I understand it better myself I will try again. We also learned even MORE phrases and words. This is why is feels like I have been taking the class for a week! We had more orientation and then crossfit training! I LOVE CROSSFIT! It’s really intense but definitely fun. Today, we didn’t get done until 5:30 and by the time I got home, it was about 7pm! My poor family waited for me for dinner…I felt so bad! But, this is going to become a routine I think.

Last night at dinner, I found out my uncle is a taxi/bus driver! Paw said that he could pick us up from ISDSI today (since we ended late) and take us directly home, instead of having to connect at the market. But he would charge us the regular amount and everyone had to be in for it to be worth it. It didn’t really work out because some people wanted to go to the market anyways and one’s parent picked him up. So, that was a little awkward for me because I had to call and tell Paw no thanks and have dinner with Lung (uncle) Tong tonight. Good thing he doesn’t speak English!

Tonight, after dinner, was really great. Nong Not (my sister) helped me with my Thai! She was sooooooo sweet!! She is also learning English now so we kind of helped each other. It was a great family moment. Nong Not, Paw, Meh, and I all sat on the floor talking and helping each other out!

Well it’s 11pm and I have to go to sleep! Gotta wake up bright and early…except maybe I wont have to shower because the running water isn’t working tonight.

Oh speaking of water…it is NOT that bad here! Everyone who told me it was so deadly was WRONG…haha. Technically it is chlorinated in Chiang Mai so we could drink it. Although the pipes are kind of gross so everyone drinks bottled water. But, the head of the program said that people drink it all the time and are fine! But, there are plenty of other weird health things that Mark told us about today in orientation…definitely an amusing/interesting/disturbing talk.

New Family!! Saturday, August 20, 2011

Saturday morning we arrived at ISDSI and met our host families! Today wasn’t like anything I have ever experienced. My host dad ‘Paw Peap’ and host sister ‘Nong Not’ picked me up. ‘Paw’ means father and ‘Nong’ is used for a younger sibling. We lugged my bags to his very rundown car. I can’t explain how nervous I was driving all the way to the house. Along the way the car almost broke down and we had to pull over. Then I found out we had run out of gas so we coasted into a gas station. We then continued our journey and picked up some ‘king ‘ and queen’ fruits which were very sweet. The ‘queen’ was a cold fruit and ‘king’ was hot. Hot meaning it makes your stomach feel hot so you have to also eat the queen fruit to cool your stomach down…? I think… Again, language barrier was very apparent and exhausting today.

We finally arrived to Paw Pings home and I find out he is a painter! The house/surroundings was indescribable. Hfe has his paintings ALL over the house. I will take a picture of it and post it at some point. We walk outside to a lake and he has build another smaller structure (almost like a tree house but not in a tree) with paintings everywhere, including the floor and a step up to another platform with a bed, radio, dresser, etc. All in the middle of this lake. He has a mosquito net above the bed. I would give anything for that to be my bed! I WISH I had brought my camera up there but hopefully I can go back and take a picture. Anyways, that is where he sleeps sometimes! I later find out his wife lives down the street. We eat there and she sleeps at Paw Peap’s house.

So, the three of us take Paw Peap’s motorbike down the street to his wife’s house where I see the grandfather laying on the floor. I was kind of concerned but this is apparently normal because no one reacted. His wife lives in the house she grew up in with her sister, brother, and father who is 84.

These houses are unlike any houses in the US. They are pretty much all wood and open to the outside. To explain everything would take forever so hopefully throughout the blogs you will get a better idea. Anyways they feed me constantly. At one point, I see the wife’s sister pick up a bunch of crickets. I’m definitely concerned. We move into another room and the wife BRINGS me the crickets…fried. I casually pick of the wings and eat it. It was VERY crunchy and they say it is like our cracker…I don’t think so. Apparently later in the week we might be eating SNAKE! AHH!!!

We then leave and Paw Peap says it is time to exercise! So, we go on a bike ride for about an hour. Eventually we end up at the wife’s house for dinner. I am exhausted at this point. I help cook a bit but the only one who speaks even a little English is Paw Peap and his 12 year old daughter speaks a couple words. So communicating is very difficult. I better pick Thai up fast. Anyways they feed me a ton of food again and then we bike back to my host father’s house. I finally got up the courage to use the bathroom with is unlike “western bathrooms” and ask to take a shower. I spent about 15 minutes asking if I could have a towel for the shower. I guess it isn’t normal? Anyways now it is only 7:24pm and I am exhausted. I am going to try to stay up a bit longer but we’ll see!!

This is definitely going to be an experience that I have never had and will never have again. I can tell it is going to be a HUGE challenge and at this point, I can’t wait to get back with my American classmates!!

Surprise!! Sunday, August 21, 2011

Today was full of surprises. I woke up around 3:30 am and couldn’t sleep after. So, I stayed up until Paw Peap poked his head in my doorway at 6am and told me to wake up. Last night, he said we were sleeping in today because it is Sunday…so I’m a little concerned. I get up and Mem Miam was washing shirts for me to wear as my uniform. Very sweet but the shirt didn’t actually button (which is against dress code)...but I said thank you VERY much in Thai! I then asked if I could go on a walk for 30 minutes. I was told that host families don’t let us do anything by ourselves but I decided it was worth it to try. Paw let me go. About 15 minutes after I left, the little man comes riding alongside me on his motorbike and takes me back to the house, which was kind of unfortunate because it was a beautiful walk and after a rough night, I really needed the fresh air and alone time.

Mem Miam and I then made breakfast. Paw taught me many Thai words, most of which, I immediately forgot. Paw Peap won’t let me write them down. He says you must learn Thai from the heart…not from paper. I DON’T THINK SO!  Hopefully ISDSI will be a little more forgiving.

Paw Peap then took me to get a phone. We took his motorbike, which we ride around the village all the time but I didn’t realize he was taking me on the highway! That was a surprise. I was definitely holding my breath… We got to the phone store and the only word I can think of to describe that experience is chaos. I am not even going to spend time explaining because there was so much frustration and confusion. So we head back and go out to Chiang Mai to get my uniform. The trip to the Chiang Mai was also to show me how I would be getting home from school tomorrow. The language barrier made this a bit confusing but I think after a few hours I figured it out…I hope! Paw Peap told me to get on the red bus/taxi and go to Gat Luang, which we then drove to. I think Paw is starting to understand my learning style…showing EXAMPLES! We get out at the huge market and walk to the yellow bus/taxi, which is my next step to getting home. He puts my sister, Nong Not, and me on the taxi, without a word, and sends us off. Guess that’s the best way to learn…

We finally find Paw Peap and he takes us to a noodle place. It is very hot here…so, warm food is never appetizing to me! I see two white spherical objects in my soup and I ask if they are tofu. He says with a little smile, ”no. pork balls.” I still don’t know what pork balls are but I can take a guess. Luckily Paw Peap doesn’t force me to eat everything so I left those aside.

We get back to the house and take the motorbike over to Mem (mother) Miam’s house. We pretty much sat and watched Thai sitcoms for a good 3 hours. Culturally, very interesting…but anyone who knows me will understand that I was starting to go a bit crazy when 4pm rolled around. But, not to worry, Paw Peap had plans to go on a bike ride to exercise at 5pm with his friend. I ASSUMED our bike ride would be similar to yesterday’s…not so much. Should have realized something was up when, unlike yesterday, I was handed a helmet. Paw Peap and I go back to the house to change and head out on our bikes. After about 15 minutes we get to the highway. The same highway that we took the motorbike on earlier in the day. This time, we get to bike ourselves! My heart was definitely racing as we bike RIGHT along side cars/trucks/motorbikes/etc. If you have driven with me, you would know that I’m afraid to drive next to large trucks…well turns out, I’m also afraid of biking next to them. Eventually we pull over to a spot where we meet Paw Peap’s friend. We then all take off, back on the highway. After about 10 minutes we turn off and Paw Peap says we are going to a dam! All of a sudden the biking gets a bit harder and ALL uphill. Paw’s friend is riding next to me saying which gears to switch to. They tell me to say Chai Dai if I am “ok” and Diam if I am “very good.” Of course I say Diam the whole way…wouldn’t want my host father to think I was a wimp. I would have to say I did a pretty solid job and we make it up to the top where we come across a beautiful lake! I took some pictures, which Paw Peap eagerly posed for (kind of hilarious). We then headed back home and picked up some fried fish along the way. FISH DINNER coming up…

We get back to Mem Maim’s house, sweaty/dirty as can be. My aunt and Nong Not are pointing, laughing, and talking about my toenails in Thai. My toenails still have neon orange polish on them from about a month ago, which I forgot to take off before I came to Thailand. I can’t tell if they like them, or not. It became apparent when Nong Not runs downstairs and then comes back up with nail polish remover and new nail polish. I laugh and start taking off my orange polish (which I love). Nong Not then paints my nails a metallic/pearly purple, which looks great on them but not as good on my, much paler, skin. She is also only 12…and it is very visible when looking at my toes. But of course, I went along with it.

Dinner time…FISH FISH FISH. Too bad I don’t love fish. Paw Peap FILLED my plate of rice with all kinds of fish. I won’t go into too much detail. But, we all were sitting  on the floor, around the main dishes, with our bowls of rice. I ate something very spicy and Mem Maim (who speaks NO English) starts saying NAM NAM (water)! And brings me my bottle of water. She is so wonderful and I can’t wait to learn Thai so I can speak with her! At this point, we just play charades! Haha.

Oh one more thing. I have a new name! I can never remember what it is but it means rice tree! Don Chao, maybe? I’ll ask in the morning and write it later. Names are taking me forever to remember! Like I said, I am not allowed to write them down. But they named me rice tree after rice grass because rice grass is taller than other grass and they think I am tall!  HA! I thought many of you might find that amusing.

Ok ok ok…I know I write a lot so I’ll stop! But, I think during the week I will have less to say because I am in class from 8am until 5pm and I don’t get home until 6 or 6:30pm.

I miss you all!! At times, more than you can imagine.

Rain, rain, go away...don't come back another day--First full day!

Well today started out a bit rough because I didn’t sleep last night. It’s safe to say that I was up at every hour of the night, thanks to my new light-up timex watch. I think it was a mix of jet-lag and anxiety (good and bad). But the girls downstairs came up and knocked on our door at about 8:30 in the morning and I had finally fallen asleep. We woke up about a half hour later, dressed in cut off jeans and a t-shirt which I later realized was a mistake.

My major points of the day are RAIN, culture shock, language barrier, and dogs!! Well dogs aren't really a main point but they are everywhere! And they are all stray. I don't even know if people have pet dogs here. They are so adorable and it is all i can do to keep from petting/playing with them! Anyways...back to my main points...

We went down and I got scrambled eggs for breakfast. The other four girls waited for us and we decided we would go out and explore and try to find a bank to exchange money. Some smart soul suggested we bring a raincoat so we ran back up stairs to grab them and headed out with our group. While walking 3 girls from different places stopped us and asked if we would like to share a “taxi” to a temple on a mountain. We initially said yes but then the rain picked up. And when I say picked up, I mean it. It was a torrential downpour. A few of us decided we would rather just find the bank so we WALKED to a shopping center a ways down the road. We were completely drenched when we arrived. I think I was laughing the entire way, which was shocking because after my Big Sur experience, I swore that I HATED rain. However, this rain is different. The weather is so hot, the rain doesn’t really feel cold…it’s almost a relief. The uncomfort only came when we walked inside the shopping center.

Everyone was staring and some laughing at us. Thais don’t walk places…ever. So, we stood out. After exchanging money, we just left because we were still soaked…jeans don’t really dry. So we headed back to the guesthouse and decided to go out to see this temple that half of the group went to earlier. This was the second major event of the day…

We flag a taxi and after about 15 minutes of bartering we get in for 700 Baht…pretty cheap actually. We start heading up a curvy mountain when all of a sudden we stop at a little shack restaurant. The driver/partner get out and speak to the people in the restaurant. With motions, they tell us to get out and get into a pickup truck. Probably not the smartest, but we did…with Roz  and the drivers partner in the bed. The rest of us squeezed in the back seat. We continued the drive up this windy mountain road passing what looked like a temple and continuing to a large market. Neither the taxi driver nor his partner spoke any English so we spent a good 10 minutes asking where the temple was because it was not visible. The ‘partner’ originally pointed us in the direction of the street but as we started walking, we turned around and saw her pointing in the other direction…so we walked up towards the market. After lots of searching, asking, and some shopping, we came to the conclusion that we would not be finding this temple. Somewhat confused, we walked back down to the pickup truck. Much confusion about payment and a phone call later, we got back in the truck. This time, I rode in the bed…praying that the rain would hold off. Eventually we got back to the guesthouse after talking to a Vietnam War veteran who had hopped in our taxi at a red light. He had been located in Thailand during the war and has recently retired and moved to Chiang Mai. He told us what to expect with the language and a bit about the culture. He had all great things to say!

After we got back to the guesthouse we took off to find some food. There were tons of street stands that were selling meats/fish that I either couldn’t recognize or could recognize way too clearly…both of which were a bit disturbing to both me and Roz. So we decided to take the safe route and eat at the guesthouse because we didn’t want to risk being sick to meet our host families tomorrow!! And I wanted to learn some Thai before I committed myself to street food. About half the group followed our lead and headed back to eat and others brought street food back. We’ll see how their stomachs handled it in the morning! Much luck…haha

The rest of the night has been very relaxing…playing a card game to get to know each other and drinking some beer and whisky. I stuck to beer for tonight…

Tomorrow, we meet our host families and have a bit of orientation! I am definitely nervous but excited to have some grounding. Today has been pretty crazy, to say the least. Now, I'm going to take some melatonin so I can SLEEP!

More to come next time I have internet access :) 

And I realize that I didn't really edit myself again and should probably cut back a little...I'm learning!!!

Arrival in Chiang Mai

I wrote this post last night but couldn’t post it until now…after today I realize im going to need to be a bit more concise because so much goes on in a day!!

My first post and first night it Thailand! My trip started a little more than 24 hours ago. Bittersweet goodbye and I was off to South Korea. I thought I would go crazy on a 13 hour flight but luckily the melatonin, Benadryl, and Dramamine (a little later) knocked me out….which is why I am awake writing this. In South Korea I found Roz and Grace and a few other girls on the program. I attempted to finish my required reading…partial success…and then we were off to customs. Customs and baggage claim were easy. We meet with part of the group and ISDSI reps and head out to our “taxi”. This is where culture shock began. This taxi was basically a read pickup truck with a covering and benches, which looked like a stall for horses . The driver put all our bags on the roof and we all CRAMMED in. Ohhhh…and then we realize that there is no door on the back of this “stall.” So this was the beginning of our journey…

The taxi drops us off at Mountain View Guesthouse. This place is also a bit difficult to describe…mind you, I have only been in Thailand for a couple hours in the dark. It takes a while for the receptionist to figure out what is going on but eventually he brings us all up to the rooms. The rooms have two beds and all are pretty worn in, you could say. But, he asks if we can fit three into a room and of course, we say yes. Language barrier is definitely apparent. He later brings up a little mattress and what looks like someones bedroom sheets and blanket and we make up the mattress. Good news…we have air-conditioning. I was a little concerned at first because Chiang Mai is hot and HUMID. As worn as this place is, it is really beautiful. The rooms all open to the outside. In the middle there are plants/shrubs/trees, picnic tables where we will get our meals, and a huge hammock looking structure.  I have a feeling this is pretty standard.

After we arrive in our rooms, we head downstairs to find the computers to email home! Everything is so cheap here. Internet is 10 baht for a half hour or less and 30  (about $1 I think) for an hour. The receptionist told us to pay whenever since we don’t have the currency yet…not sure that would fly in the good ol’ US.

Just took my first shower and I'm off to bed...not sure I'll fall asleep after sleeping most of the flight to South Korea! 

LATERRRR