20 Days Later...

So it's been a while! Mes apologies. This months been so full of everything, it's incredible. One Saturday, my host family randomly asked if I wanted to go on a day trip, which took us to the huge, beautiful white temple in Chiang Rai and across the border into Myanmar, where we shopped for hours. Street markets are officially the best place to buy anything.

School is still awesome. I'm slowly becoming less of "the new white girl", so it's easier to feel like an actual part of the class. Although there's still enough of "the new white girl" for everyone to want to be friends with me still. The braver, funnier girls are the most fun because they try to piece words together in English to communicate, and you're trying to piece words together in Thai, fully aware you're both sounding bizarre, but still trying to help each other along - those moments are the most fun! The younger girls are sweet because they try harder than anyone to be your best friend. The ladyboys... oh my goodness the ladyboys! I've never met anyone so hilarious and so outgoing than the ladyboys. If that saying where everyone needs a gay friend is true, then everyone needs 5 ladyboy friends - they are honestly the most interesting and down-to-earth people I've every met, and they are unbelievably funny. I know this is stereotyping them, but really... it's usually pretty obvious when someone's a ladyboy.

BY THE WAY: อรจีรา (and no, I did not get help typing that. That says "On-ji-ra", my Thai name)

I was invited to judge an English demonstration contest at the local technical college! It was a little awkward because there were only 3 judges (myself included), about 50 contestants, and this was their final project worth a huge percentage of their mark, so screwing it up would be reeeaaaalllly bad. It was great though, and everyone was so energetic!

Thai speaking (as opposed to writing) class is great because they want to take me on trips outside of school to teach me new words (FINE BY ME :D). So random day trips to super interesting new places in Thailand is preeeetttttty awesome! Also, sometime in the near future, the super attractive guy teacher will be taking me by motorcycle to the top of a mountain... :D

Traditional Thai Art is so difficult, but so beautiful! But it's honestly ridiculous how many times you can draw a curvy line the exact same way 5 times and still have your teacher say "No! Have to be the same!" Still, it's a really great class and his drawings are remarkable.

You know what's disgusting? Actually, I have no idea what because I randomly picked it up from the school store and the package is all in Thai, but it tastes like earwax. Gross enough to lose inspiration for blogging.

Sawatdee ka :)
Anneke

Gardening with Ajan Rampai!

Marching in a parade for women's rights

Can't believe this was actually on the internet, because it's pretty much exactly what my Thai Art book looks like. This is MUCH harder than it looks.

Looool my exchange friend found this and it is so true. This songs plays EVERYWHERE (supermarkets, car radio, school loudspeakers, iPod speakers, everywhere) and this is sooo true! (Reuben, this can be your {complimentary} honourable mention. A little less impressive than it could be, but Gangnam Style will have to do. Nick, for you too!)

Awkward Girl Things 10x Worse in a Foreign Country

First of all, they do not use tampons in Thailand; they are considered "unclean" with the whole "penetration = virginity" thing. And now that we know the topic of this lovely post, let the humiliation begin!

So I was at this really interesting guiser basin where you place a little basket of eggs in the naturally boiling sulfur water and have a little egg picnic. It's actually pretty cool! After that, there's this whole spa resort type thing that surrounds the guizer basin. They offered me a swimsuit and said "No we go swimming!" You don't want to say "no" and sound like an unenthusiastic exchange student, but you don't exactly want your whole extended host family to know your time of the month. So after they told me that, I awkwardly walked over to the only lady in the family who spoke English enough to understand (who I'd only known since that day and sure wasn't going to tell my host father), and whispered it to her. She then gave me a look and said (quite loudly), "Right now?" I gave an embarrassed little nod. Then she turns back to face the table where everyone else is sitting and says something to them all in Thai. Immediately, they all give me a sympathetic look and my host father says, "okay, you can't swim this week. You stay here." So yea. Apparently that type of thing isn't as awkward as it is in North America, which makes it MUCH MORE awkward for the North American visiting Thailand. Now my whole extended host family knows when I get my period. That's just lovely (and now the whole internet, but that's beside the point).

And then yesterday, my friend invited me to go swimming and I, unthinkingly, said yes. Then later I was with my host father and I remembered and said "oh wait! I can't go swimming", gesturing downwards. My host father responds: "that's right, you can't", gesturing to the same place. EXTREMELY AWKWARD MOMENT WHEN BOTH YOU AND YOUR HOST FATHER ARE POINTING AT YOUR LADY PARTS.

Seeing as we're on the topic of awkward bathroom things, I'll add that I can now use the butt-hose in place of toilet paper. Whooooo ;)

Now then. Time for bed. Fun dee naka!

Yea, I can't believe I actually posted this either.

Anneke