Haircut and other memorable pics

Me at the moment!!

Ah my after pic!

My class laughing after a game with JR, my province partner.

Ah, my before picture!

Karen, I, Zoey, Kate and Paige!!!

'Partying' on Zoey's birthday, at this really weird hotel club. We tried to find a karaoke club, but after two failed attempts, well whatever!

The YWAM (Youth with a mission) church I attended with Ahna last week and tomorrow.

Pok, YWAM guy who has facebooked me four times this week. He's such a bro though, he kept pinching me all day when we were walking around the National Gallery and taking insanely long taxi trips!!! (Um, please someone tell me this isn't crush evidence?)

Democracy Monument - we watched a movie about the democracy movement in 1973 after years of military 'democracy', the entire area around this monument was filled with an estimated 500,000 people. Oy!

Zoey celebrates her 23rd birthday!!!

A Month's Marking

Tonight will mark a month in Bangkok. Just five more to go.
It's so odd. I have such trouble imagining myself anywhere else - I always do. Everything beyond my sight becomes almost imagined...Apologies to all that I haven't written to because of this...
When we visited Ayuttaya, I recognized one of the wats. I'd been there before. Two years I'd walked the ruins, talking with Karen, my Thai-Italian friend (I know, talk about luck!). I finally asked her how she felt about living in a Buddhist country. It's so weird, I don't totally remember her answer, but I remember the Buddha statue we walked by, yellow sash wrapped around it, larger than the two of us put together. The ruins, the sun, trees - and I never even took a picture.
I stood outside the ruins and thought, two years ago, what idea did I have that I would be back? Two years older, gone in a flash.

I would say things haven't changed but, well - I have some news. Kindof big news for a girl, not for a guy.
I got a haircut. And I mean a hair cut - like letting loose a woodchucker on a hardwood forest.
I officially have a boy cut. I'd show a picture - and I will, but I don't have a way to get them onto the computer right now. It's really short and oy! I have bangs!!! I haven't had bangs since I was like eight! It curls out, which I'm not thrilled about but -shrug- what can I do?

We've also finished with our lectures. Wednesday began our practice teaching - and it's weird, I haven't felt terribly nervous or anything. Of course, I haven't actually been very focused on specific teaching per say, versus simple English practice and usage. I get to know the kids and we play games. It's actually really fun.
And of course, I have kids in my class with nicknames: Prince, Pond, Benz, Mook (a girl), Mo (another girl), Bos(s), Joy (!), and Pa (a girl).

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have officially sent in all my essays for grad school - except American Uni. and Lesley (but only because the online app is not working right).
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pampered

Our whole group has agreed that we are so pampered.
Examples:
All of our housing is taken care of.
One of our Phi (older bro/sis i.e. Fulbright staff) has tried to get us internet access for the past two weeks.
Our head person, Phi Tip, calls herself our mom.
We get coffee, tea and snacks served to us liberally through the day of lectures: today - cookies, fruit cake, ice cream cones and sticky rice and mango (because someone said it was their favorite food - they made it for us).
We have maid service in our rooms.
This weekend, during our home stays, our 'parents' paid for everything for us, took us to museums, art exhibits, music shows, meditation center/wats, out eating (a lot - I even got Indian), and shopping. They also gave us gifts.
When Caryn (one of the Fulbrighters) got a bad eye infection (?) she got taken to the hospital, the doctor was arranged to stay late - and her host mom actually called someone in Traffic Control so they'd get all green lights on the way to the hospital.
(I'm absolutely NOT joking!)
Every lecturer we've had has given us e-mail addresses and want us to contact them if we need any help at all.
Food of course is super cheap and I still have yet to encounter a squat toliet.
Actually, you know what that makes us?
Spoiled rotten.

Thai-Thai Weekend

So this weekend I am off to live with a Thai family. All of us are actually - Fulbright has arranged for us to stay with Rotary Club members.
Yup, this would be philanthropic, generously-endowed Thai volunteer people.
Definitely going to be interesting - though they should speak a decent amount of English. It's for the rest of today till Sunday afternoon.
TTY then!

This is Thailand

This is a phrase that is supposed to help us, given to us by Fulbrighters.
An example:
This morning I was hastily waken by my roommate at 7:30 (who'd just come back from running - yes I am the only one who doesn't run in my group [the sane one I might say]) and told class started at 8, not 9 like usual. We rushed ready in 10 and got a tuk-tuk to get to class and -
one of our groupmates had to get the door unlocked. Yup, no one was there.
But this is Thailand.
The street food's been great the past few nights - there's a Chinese Vegetarian festival going on so we get showered in yellow flags, hails of spring rolls, and donuts dipped in 'milk' (sooo good).
Jessica, eat your heart out.
But class is surely to begin, so I must say adieu for later.