I actually wrote this a few months ago but couldn't find the bungee jumping photos, but here it is now:
Last Friday was "Wan Dek" (Children's Day). For this day, our school holds an annual 10km mini-marathon and this year I was able to participate. My friends originally told me we must arrive at the school at 4 in the morning, but was later told 5:30. My friend, Jin, asked if I wanted to run with her, so I said yes. Turns out, she meant actually run, because most of our other friends were planning to walk as a group. Jin runs alone every year, so it was her first time running with a buddy, and my first time ever. It was probably more physical exercise than I had in the past week combined (life of the exchange students). Anyways, it was really great to run with everyone, because whether an experienced runner or not, everyone was happy and equal. There were also a few water stations we stopped at along the way. Unfortunately, as we neared the school again, I didn't think we'd run 10 kilometres yet, so I didn't speed up. As I saw people turning into the school, I realized it was finished, and sped up. So that part was disappointing because I think I could have done better. I ended up in 19, right beside Jin.
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| Winning the shirt for M5/1. |
Then... bungee jumping!!
First, they tied my legs together with a big red strap and knotted a rope between them, which attached to the bungee. I didn't think much about it at the time, but that guy who tied the knot must really have known what he was doing, because it was genuinely just a hand-made knot attaching me to the bungee chord. The guy, Tartan, was talking to me the whole time as we rode up in the crane, telling me what to do, but I was paying attention to the beautiful mountains coming more and more into view. Then suddenly the crane stopped, Tartan gave me a big smile and said "Okay! Now when you reach the bottom, remember to look up and wave back to the camera." Then I hobbled to the ledge and looked down, and saw the buildings and trees it felt like I could pick up between my thumb and index finger, and the mountains felt like I could hop onto them like little hills.
Okay, I'm not afraid of heights. I would have gladly stood up there for hours just to admire the view and gawk at how tiny everything is. But then the Tartan starts saying ridiculous things like "Okay, on the count of three, just fall forward" and you want to say "Um, excuse me? How can I 'just fall forward'; there is no way I will possibly survive. Humans aren't meant to do this." With these thoughts in mind, I don't jump when he reaches three, and shrivel back instead. He smiles and says "Catch your breath and we'll try again." I ask Tartan if it's a really sudden jolt when you reach the bottom and he replies, "No, no, it's smooth. Many people think you just bounce up and down when you reach the bottom, but it's a smooth swing," then he gives me a sudden serious look and says "it's very fast though." I just smile because I'm not really in a state to say anything, but think "That's a-ok. Going fast is perfectly fine, it was only the jolt I was worried about." Then he starts counting again and I decide the only way I'm going to do it is if I close my eyes and just do it without thinking. This is the point where I think you actually need to be a little bit crazy. If you're in your right mind, I think it's impossible to make yourself form the illusion that it's okay to "just fall forward". You have to block out everything around you. He reached three and I fall forward. The moment I'm at the tipping point, my brain screams "ARE YOU STUPID, YOU STUPID STUPID GIRL" and let out my first ever real, irrepressible, terrified scream. I am going to die in a matter of seconds.
Then I feel something around my ankles tighten and open my eyes. I'm much closer to the ground and moving much slower. Suddenly I realize there's nothing to be afraid of, and all I can feel is the coolest sense of elation ever. I burst out laughing and probably sound insane to the people on the ground below. I near the water, reach out my hands, and feel them skim through the cool, wet surface. I feel the rope pulling up again and next thing I know, I'm almost level with Tartan again. This time I'm not afraid though because it feels like I'm flying. I swear it's the greatest feeling possible. Eventually I stop swinging and wave to everyone; to Jin down below, Tartan up above, the worker guy inside the kabodo, the two other worker guys reaching out a pole to tow me down.
I am so grateful to Jin for inviting me to run with her and then to go to Chiang Mai with her. I believe this was one of the best and most important days of my exchange and it would not have happened without her.
A few days later, my host uncle fixed the bicycle!! I’ve now spent so many hours biking around Lamphun, seeing more houses around the countryside, examining how most people in Thailand live (my host family is very wealthy and not as “traditional”), watching the beautiful countryside pass before my eyes, feeling the wind on my face, and receiving smiles from so many people!! I absolutely love biking and feel so invigorated by it.
January 25 was my 18th birthday! My host father wasn’t home and nobody in my host family remembered. However, my friend Carol invited me to party with her in Chiang Mai; she is so kind, energetic, and considerate! My host uncle, Pii Poo, was able to drive me to her school and we walked around Chiang Mai until it began to get dark. Then we went to a bar with another exchange friend, Connor, from the United States. After drinking and dancing in the bar, we went next door to the nightclub. We danced the whole night long and it felt amazing!! We slept in Connor’s hotel room and Carol and I left early the next morning before his host father found us in his room. The next few days we spent relaxing I went back home. Two days later, back at home, my host sister, Ice, and her younger brother came into my room and surprised me by singing happy birthday and giving me a cake! It was a wonderful surprise and they made me so happy and grateful to have them as my siblings.
At school, I’ve been become much closer with members of the M5/1 class and with Kru Aee and Kru Jame in Thai class. While there are many good friends throughout the school, these are my closest ones. I am now able to read most things in Thai and can communicate much better. Kru Aee is sometimes like my second mother and I can tell her anything; she wants to take care of me and take me places and is so kind. I like her so much! I still haven’t adapted entirely into Thai culture, but I am trying every day, and I think I’m slowly becoming part of the M5/1 class. I know most people’s personalities, have found specific people who I connect with best, but am friends with everyone.
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| False eyelashes out of sticky notes with Bas. |
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| The gang! Fly, Name, Faem, me, Kik, Beer, Nun, Bas, and Kat. |
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| Nan is awesome and crazy. We spend a good amount of time stuffing mentoes into Coke bottles. |
Two days ago, a few of my friend in M5/1 were filming a video for class and invited me to join when they went to film in a beautiful garden in Lamphun. The gardens were stunning, although I cannot remember the name. There were waterfalls and monuments and walls and archways. We took many pictures and had lots of fun. At one point, I fell into the water and Bas and Name helped me back out. I was soaking wet, but we were all laughing so hard that it didn’t matter.
