Time is passing so quickly here. I feel like I have been living in a dream, a wonderful dream at that. It feels like every time I stop to take a breath or to look around another moment slips right by me.
It has now been almost six months scince I began my Journey here. I am glad to say that everyday I am still excited by the littlest things here. Whether It's the old man who knows me by name everytime I stop to buy ice cream after school or the first time I started to dream in Thai, I still get the greatest satsfaction from them.
The language has been becoming easier and I find myself understanding more and more everyday. I learn the most from my friends at school, who are happy to help me. One thing I that has really helped me is coming to the realization that everyone is already laughing at me because I am a foreiner, that I wont loose anything by making a mistake speaking. And it's true most Thai people do laugh at me when I speak, but I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing.
Changing families was really hard because I became so close to my last family. In my new family I have two host sisters (12 and 17) and a mom and dad. The mom and the dad both own gold shops and are very busy. They leave home before I wake up and return after 6pm. I feel lonely a lot, but I am trying to make friends with my sisters so it will be less so. The weirdest thing here is that they have pretty much the equvilent of two servents or "housework" as Thai's call them. One goes to work all day with the parents and the other stays home to clean and cook. I come home from school and my room is clean and my clothes are washed. I know it sounds nice, but the servents aren't very happy people. They do this 7 days a week, wakeing up at 5am and going to bed after midnight. I think the hardest day was when one of the "housework" left my sisters door open and when she came home and found misqutoes in her room started screaming at the "housework". I am trying not to notice things like this because it is their way of life here, but I know this is one thing I won't miss.

Northern Tour

Here are a few Pictures from The tour I took with Rotary to the North of Thailand

My House and The My Parent's Coffee Shop.

A Mosque in Non Khai

This was at a Mosque in a town right on the border of Laos. The garden was full of these huge statues. It was amazing.

Elephant Riding in Hua Hin. It was supposed fun but I actually found it really upseting. It was so hard to see how the traniers treated the elephants.

Hua Hin

Floating Markets!

A weekend to Remember

My host family rented a van on friday to take me and some of the other excahnge students sight seeing. The van consisted of me, my host mom, my host dad, my host dad's mom, my two sisters, the nanny, the driver, and three other exchange students.. it was packed. We left at about 6 am friday morning from my house and drove all day stopping about every half an hour to visit tepmles,eat, and take pee breaks. We arrived at about 5pm making what could have been only an 8 hour drive 11 hours.When we arrived there was only about a 5 minute rest at the hotel before we were off again. Our hotel was situated right on the Mekong river so shortly after arriving my family had arranged a boat to pick us up and take us into town. It was about a half an hour boat ride through the murky waters of the Mekong. Situated along side the banks was everything from temples with their shiny roofs emerging from the dense jungles to old wrinkley women bathing in the waters. It reminded me of the jungle cruise in Disney land only ten times better. As we slowed down to come through the town every one began to wave and smile at us.. Suddenly we had become the main attraction of this theme park.
From that point we began barging for cheap soviners and an snacks off of the old men and women along the banks. After some time of this fun we were able to get off the boat and explore the town. It was hot and crowded and as dusk set upon us, the lights of all the houses appeared and everyone came out into the streets like it was some huge party. Hundereds of vendors lined the streets selling and making their special goods. The most interesting of which was the street filled all with masks. Anyone you could think of just name it and they would find you your own alternate identitiy.
Soon after it beacame completely dark we all got back on the boat to view some thing I will never forget. As we speed away from the city lights it became aparent that it would not be dark tonight. Lining the river in the trees, were thousands of fireflies. They were blinking simaltaniously looking as though someone had lavishly strung hundreds of christmas lights throughout the trees. It was mind blowing sight.
Bright and early the next day were were off for another day full of surprises. The drive this time was only about three hours and an easier one at that. The town we arrived in was called Hua Hin and in the northern part of southern Thailand. The city was located on the Adaman (sp?) Sea and was over populated by tourists. It is funny because now I find my self staring at the white people too. Our hotel or "bungalow" was right on the beach, which surroundings reminded me somewhat of Redfish Lake. There were huge pine trees and if there wasn't the humitity I would have believed I was back in Idaho. Our afternoon was spent playing in the water until later our fun was ruined when one of the boys was stung by a jellyfish. And later after closer inspection, we found they were hunderes of them washed up on the beach. It freaked me out because they were all the size of frizbees, no kidding. Anywas after all this fun the next day was spent driving home only to stop off in bangkok for an hour or two.

My School, Khon Kaen Wittayayon School

What to say about Thai schools..hmm.. My school has 4500 students grades 7-12. It gets a little crazy and as to be expected I am the only white person or farang so I get a lot of staring, pointing, and lauging. The building here is the English department were all the Enlish classes are given. There are five more buidings this size, and with eight classes a day it is a lot of walking.

Ahh Thai Food

So This would be a typical Thai meal. This is actually breakfast and the truth is we keep eating like this all day. I'm stuffed.

My host mom and little sister

Well so far, I am already on my second host family. My living situation has been rough but I love my new Thai family. They are amazing. My family consits of 6 people (mom,dad,two younger sisters,one younger brother, and a great aunt). Like most families here we live above the family bussiness. My host family owns a real estate company and have many developments all over the city. Our house is located right on the freeway and about a 10 minute drive from the city center.

August 23, 2006. Temples on a cloudy day.

My City Khon Kaen