Just Another Wednesday

  So, it was just an ordinary Wednesday, nothing exciting, or extraordinary about it, just another day. I woke up at 6:30 am like any other day when I am too lazy to go for a run, (on the days I go for a run I wake up at 5:45 am), and I walked down stairs for my shower. I was about to jump in the shower, when I realized I left the new bottle of shampoo on the table, so I had to redress and go out and grab it. As I was exiting the bathroom, my host mom saw me and told me my councillor had called. She said we could talk about it after I got out of the shower.

My first thought was yes they called and talked about a) me meeting up with my councillor for lunch sometime to discuss host families, b) dance lessons, or c) my third potential host family. I have emailed my councillor and talked to my mom about these things but never get answers, so I thought, I would finally get some answers.

I showered as quickly as I could and threw on my uniform and ate breakfast. Then I packed my bag and sat on the couch until it was time to go. Just like every other morning. My host mom comes over and says, “oh there is a family in town, (potential host family maybe:D), who recently moved here from Bangkok, (with a connection to Bangkok :D), The husband is the top policeman in our area and the wife is a university professor at the top school in Bangkok, they are very rich, ( a rich host family :D) they want you to teach their child English. (OhhhhL)”

Then my host mom starts telling me how, the child is scared of guys but likes girls and how I would start today at 10 am. WAIT A MINUTE! Today, at 10 am you want me to teach some random kids ENGLISH! So of course I said, “Today? At 10 am?”

My host mom said, “yeah you are ok with it right? I mean we already said you would do it.”

Well, then I guess I will do it, given my apparent choice.  Then my host mom asks me what lessons I have prepared. Oh well in the past millisecond, I prepared a multimedia presentation, four work sheets, two colouring pages, a short story and a song introducing the basic conversation skills of English. Nothing obviously, because technically, it’s against Rotary’s rules for me to work. I came here to be an exchange student not an English teacher, but in Thailand they forget that. So she gave me a work book from her desk and told me to just find games online.

So that morning, in my hour and half prep time, I found a few games online. Then something amazing happened, my best friend, Holly and I happened to be on Skype at the same time. It was so great to talk to her, I miss her like crazy and I love catching up on her life back home. Unfortunately, she had math homework and I had an English lesson to prepare, so our talk was short but very sweet.  After that I watched a few videos describing teaching English. My friend, Sara from Italy, came and found me and we sat in the English room talking for a bit.

We discussed how we really missed weird things from home. Things you would never think to miss. For example, I miss my bathroom across the hall from my bedroom that I only have to share with my NINE year old brother, (sharing a bathroom with a nine year old brother is easy considering he rarely uses it.) I miss having a kitchen with a stove with for burners and an oven. I miss have ingredients that I know how to use. I miss my bed and bedside trunk filled with old Polaroid’s, vintage clothing and records. I miss my brother coming and knocking on my bedroom door every night telling me to turn my music down. I miss being able to shut the blinds and sleep to noon. I miss my family and my friends. Sarah misses similar things and it’s funny because you never expect to miss those things.

During our conversation, a policeman showed up with my host mom, to take me to the children’s house. I would later find out that policeman wasn’t even the father. My host mom asked Sarah if she wanted to join me but she was smart and said, no. So I get in the fanciest car I have seen here and we drive, down one block and turn into the police station, then we drive to the back to a house. As we get out, I see two girls playing with a lady, so I assumed it was the mother; at this time I was still under the impression the guy who drove me was the father. Then we went inside and I realized the lady was too young to be the mother for she was hardly out of high school, so I assumed it was an older sister. Then another man walked in and handed me a cell phone. The lady on the other end, who I assume to be the mother spoke perfect English and told me about the girls and what to teach them.

 So, I set up my laptop and tried to get on the internet but of course it did not work. So I pulled up paint and started playing guesses what I am drawing. That went along well, until I ran out of things to draw. So I pulled out the workbook and we started going through just basically reading it and playing find the object. It went along great until the girls started getting tired around 12:10pm. Which figures because I had been teaching them for two hours, but I continued teaching until 12:30, then we went and ate lunch. That was when everything finally made sense to me.

There were two tables set up, one in the middle and one off to the side. The old lady, I had assumed to be the grandmother went and sat at the table off to the side and so did the girl, I assumed to be the sister. Then I and the two girls sat at the main table. Then two ladies, who were in the kitchen brought us dinner and the father, the second man I met, who handed me the phone, came and sat with us.  Basically, the family appeared to have a nanny, three maids, and one of the police officers, working for them. This was so strange to me, having never been around families that have a staff. Now, add me as the family English tutor. After lunch, I asked to go back to school because, they girls were done with learning English and I was done teaching. The police officer drove me back to school. 

When I arrived back at school my host mother asked me how it went, good I told her. She told me she wants me to teach there every day until they go back to Bangkok. I think that’s kind of a lot, considering, I don’t actually know how to teach and I am not even getting paid for this. Back home a two hour English lesson for two girls would make me good money and I know that foreign teachers here make good money for that sort of work, so, I don’t think every day is very fair.

So, now I am back at school for another two hours and then I will go home and sleep, because believe it or not, teaching English tires you out.

Dear Santa

 Dear Santa,

How are you Santa? I haven’t written to you in about a year. I have been pretty busy being an exchange student in Thailand and stuff but, I am sure your elves had informed you on my current adventure. Well, it’s true; I am in Thailand doing a one year exchange. It’s pretty exciting here in Thailand, Santa, but it is also very difficult adjusting to a new culture. I have been a good girl though Santa, I brush my teeth twice a day and I even mailed out letters and postcards to my friends and family yesterday. They should arrive home in 2-3 weeks. Being in Thailand has made me truly appreciate the life I lead back home.

Enough about me though, I mean you have loads of children that want to tell you about how good they have been. I want to hear about you. How is the weather in the North Pole around this time of year? Cold I presume but does the North Pole experience seasons, like Ontario does? If yes, could you tell me about them? How are the reindeers? I hope they have been keeping active in the past ten months; it would be tragic if one of them suddenly got a cramp and couldn’t complete the long journey around the world, to say Thailand.  And of course the misses, how is Ms. Claus doing? I hope she hasn’t been feeding you too many cookies. Just in case she has I will leave out some tropical fruit for you this year. I would leave out cookies, but unfortunately Thailand hasn’t exactly grasped the concept of making good cookies. They try but it is a recently new, practise to them and just like anyone trying something new, they just haven’t gotten it quite right.

Santa, I am going to be honest with you, I am really scared my family in Canada is going to forget about me on Christmas. I mean it is going to be strange to spend Christmas in a tropical climate and to add on to that, without my family. Hmmm. Christmas isn’t celebrated by many people in Thailand because of it being a Christian based holiday, but you will still come Santa, right? I hope so. Do you think my family back home will send me little gifts for Christmas?  Let me tell you Santa, those little things from home right about now would make me the happiest girl in the world. I don’t want or need much only a few things out of convenience. What I want most, Santa, is to be able to travel around Thailand as much as I can and for that I need money. Humph! Your elves probably don’t have a money press, right? I mean I guess that would be considered naughty, but if they do could you send some my way through my Bank Account in Canada? If you need more information you can ask my Mom, she is always willing to help.

As for the other comforts of home I miss and wouldn’t mind seeing again this holiday season, here are a few ideas:

Kraft Dinner

Lululemon Headbands

Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

 Chicken Noodle Soup the Liptons box kind seems light enough to mail

Toiletries are always welcome because the toiletries aren’t the same here as they are in Canada.

 Work out clothing is also always appreciated because I happen to live in it here between boxing, running and going to the gym. Even when I am not exercising, it is the best comfort clothing. Once again Santa, you can talk to my mom.

  I hope that is not too much, remember I don’t want it all, I just wanted to give you some Ideas, so you could pick and choose. If you cannot make it to Thailand this year please remember mail takes a long time to get here, THREE TO FOUR MONTHS! So you might want to send a package or a letter ASAP. If these things are too difficult, a Christmas card would achieve almost the same effect, the effect of remembering home and getting that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Thank you Santa, once again for making my Christmas’ magical.

Xoxo Chantel <3

It's Raining and Flooding, but Dont Worry :)

 When I think about Thailands current water situation to songs come to mind the first is the ever quoted Bob Marley classic Three Little Birds:

" Don't worry about a thing, cuz every little thing is gonna be alright"

The second is a classic childhood favourite, It's Raining, It's Pouring by Your Parents:

 "It’s raining its pouring the old man is snoring he went to bed and bumped his head and couldn’t get up in the morning"

Just a quick note on how the second children’s song is actually quite grave and morbid.

So in case you recently, came out of the rock we all live under known as safe little Canada and have heard about the flooding in Thailand, I AM ALIVE AND DRY!! I am sad to report that the flooding in Thailand is as bad as the news puts it. I am happy to report though that the Thai people are not fretting and are keeping their reputation as the land of smiled through it all. Mai pen lai, right?

 My town’s river started overflowing yesterday and has now reached one half of our main road. One village has flooded but most of the town is situated far away from the river and is safe. I am luckily far from the river in a field, in my house, in my second story bedroom, nice and dry. My family tells me not to worry that it is the first time it has flood in Mahasarakham in 20 years and that it just means we have to drive the pickup truck to school instead of the car. They tell me the water should only raise slightly high stay for about 2-3 weeks then continue its journey towards the sea. The Thai people do not appear to be worried about the river opening up and swallowing the town whole, like it did Ayutthaya. Some thoughts are pleasant and everything will be ok.

The flooding in Thailand is not something unusual it happens annually here as the rainy season comes to an end. All the water that has accumulated in the mountains in the north must flow down the rivers back out the sea. Unfortunately, the rivers cannot accompany for all this water so they overflow causing flooding.  Some years are worst than others, this year is particularly bad, but Thailand will be ok.

So everyone, can stop bombarding my mom with questions about the flood, you can however keep asking about me;). If anything interesting, exciting or dangerous happens, I will let you know. In the mean time don’t worry about me I am just trying to understand my intro to anthropology, psychology and sociology course work from home. It’s not the floods you need to be worried about; it’s me trying to learn social sciences.

Xoxo Chantel <3

Just another week in Bangkok

Wow, what a week. I don’t know where to start.  I am not going to go into too much detail because most of it was” you had to be there” moments. But basically here is the extremely basic, in as little words as possible rundown of my past week.

Sunday: Boarded a bus to Bangkok at 7:30 am with the cell phone number of my councillor, her two daughters and no other knowledge as to what was happening. When I arrived in Bangkok I called my councillor and she picked me up and drove me to JJ market to meet up with her eldest daughter Anil and her youngest daughter, Anila’s host family from Germany. We went out for dinner and I had a great chat with the German family’s eldest daughter about living in Thailand.

Monday:  Got put in a Taxi with my address written on a card and was sent to the mall for a fun day of shopping. I spent way too much money but had a great time terrorizing Forever 21 by trying on a million outfits including shoes and accessories. I am sure if they knew how to say please, leave the store in English, they would have. I then went outside the mall and waved down a taxi gave them my address card and hoped to dear god, I wasn’t going to get dropped off in Soi Cowboy. (Google it)

Tuesday: Well, I made it home in one piece the night before so I woke up and went with Anila to tour around the city with her host family. We took two taxis, a sky train and a subway in rush hour traffic to get to their hotel. It was beyond crazy busy. We arrived there and helped them book their resort for the next week then helped them switch hotels to a resort in Bangkok on the river that had a beautiful roof top pool. We switched hotels and then went out for brunch. I ordered SPAGHETTI and it was delicious but I can do better. Then while walking to the sky train station I saw a fish spa and suggested we try it out because I had been dying to. It was hilarious, it tickled soo much and felt soo weird. It was definitely worth 100 baht. Then we went and visited temple on a hill. It was like any other temple except it was touristy so there were gongs and bells everywhere to ring. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Then we went by tuk tuk to a museum but the German family wanted to go back to the hotel so we took a taxi back to their hotel. I decided to try and find the famous Khao San road and wandered around, getting lost a few times, but finally finding it. I walked around there for a bit, I got my hair wrapped, got a tattoo (ha-ha just kidding, I am crazy not stupid) and ate French fries at McDonalds. Ahhh yeah! Then I wandered back to the hotel getting lost once more but eventually finding it. Oh I bought a pair of earphones on Khao san road because I was so proud of myself for bargaining the price from 550 baht to 350 baht in Thai!! Mind you I sat in McDonalds for like half an hour before memorizing the bargaining words. I then went back to the hotel and met up with the German family and Anila. We went back to Khao San Road for dinner and cocktails, non-alcoholic for me of course.  Then we took a taxi home.

Wednesday: I woke up at 6 am and got in a taxi heading towards a van station where, I would meet one of Anila’s friends Goi and a German backpacker named Stephen who was couching surfing at her house. (Google Couchsurfing)  I waited an hour and a half in traffic and then I finally arrived getting in a van headed towards Pattaya. After a two hour van ride we arrived at the pier in Pattaya and boarded a ferry to Koh Larn Island. When we arrived we met up with Goi’s friends and rented a motorcycle to tour around the island on. We had to drive straight up this curvy mountain road. It was so steep and then once you got to the top you had to go straight back down. At the end was an island paradise beach overcrowded by fat Europeans stuffed in bikinis and Speedos and speed boats. I was a little disappointed but I realized that we are really spoiled with our empty beaches at home. We stayed and went swimming and then drove to some of the other beaches which were less crowded but still quite busy. Then we had dinner and went back to the hotel room to hang out. Goi’s friend bought a fried pregnant horseshoe crab and ate the eggs. I had a bite. They weren’t bad just really gross texture and all I could think about was hundreds of baby crabs crawling around in my belly and that bothered me. Then I went and read my book in a hammock for a bit before finally going to bed.

Thursday: I woke up early and went and sat outside and wrote in a journal for a bit marvelling on the fact that at the age of sixteen I was alone on an island in Thailand. How many people can say that? We woke up and went to the beach. The Thai’s wanted to sit on the beach but it cost 100 baht to sit on a chair and the sand was wet so I and Stephen decided to walk around taking pictures and talking about travelling. He is doing a gap year after university and is travelling to some amazing places like Bali and Fiji. I am so jealous.  Then we went back into town for lunch and took the next ferry back to Pattaya. I wanted to go to Walking Street a street equally famous for its strippers and prostitutes as it is for its creepy old men. Since it was the afternoon none of the bars or clubs was open and it was pretty dead but once you got off the street and in to Pattaya, you saw the shady crowd. All these old men roaming the streets either drinking or walking around with a young Thai woman on their arms. Ugh it was absolutely gross. Anyone travelling to Thailand don’t listen to what anyone says, DON’T GO TO PATTAYA. We then got on the van and drove home arriving around 7pm. I then flagged down another taxi gave him my card and had to wait another 2 hours in rush hour traffic.

Friday: I woke up around seven and was ready to go at eight but had to wait until nine for my councillor to bring me to the bus station. I then boarded a bus at 9:30 and was off to Khorat for my three bound meeting which started at 12pm. I arrived in Khorat at 3:30pm and got picked up from the bus station by my second host father and host brother. They drove me to the hotel where I met my second host mother and checked in. Then when finding my room I ran into Avry and Luis who were lost and didn’t know what was going on so we followed my mom over to the sports field. They were all just finishing playing soccer and volley ball so I walked back to the hotel and hung out with the exchange students. Oh I love those people soo much. They are all so fun and chill.  We then had dinner and then walked to seven eleven for junk food. We thought we saw some strippers along the way so we got our picture taking with them but when we entered the “strip club” it was just a karaoke place. I don’t know why they had pictures of strippers on the front. Hmmm. We picked up a ton of junk food and headed back to the hotel for a night of dancing in the hotel rooms. Don’t ask me what time I went to bed because I have no idea.

Saturday: We woke up early and had breakfast. Toast and eggs were the only edible breakfast food. We then listened to a lecture on how we cannot get CAUGHT breaking the D’s or else they will HAVE to punish us but if we DON’T get caught, they will not punish us. Go figure. Oh and they told us the drugs over here are totally wack so, be careful. XD oh Rotary. We then proceeded to do nothing for the rest of the except for sit in our rooms listening to music and confusing the hell out of the poor room service people but in retrospect we gave them a ton of money. Then we went and talked to some Thai students about our countries! HA! Yeah right the Thai students were too afraid to talk to us. So we gave each other temporary tattoos and then went back to our rooms for predinner naps. Then we had dinner and a talent show. Canada being extremely unprepared sang our national anthem then plugged in Justin Bieber's  Baby, turned off the light and sang our hearts out. All the inbounds came up and danced on stage and we just jammed out. Basically we rocked. Especially because Avry and I went up front and rapped the Ludacris part like the awesome Canadians we are. Then we walked to seven eleven again bought more junk food and hung out in our rooms.

Sunday: we woke up early rushed to pack and eat breakfast and then found out we had nothing to do except eat lunch together, and then go home.  Way to tell us before. So we just hung out in our rooms and did basically nothing. Then we ate lunch and my second host family drove me home. Oh I really like my host family, they talked to me for about half of the car ride home asking about my life back home and checking to see if I was homesick. They seem like a very loving family and I am excited to have two younger brothers. My one brother will also be going on an exchange next year which is so cool. He wants to go to the US. Then I have another brother who is younger than me so he calls me Phi-Kahn which I love. My second host mom is the librarian in my school and she doesn’t speak much English but she is good at teaching me Thai. In the car she was telling me how to say things. I would love to move in with them tomorrow especially because they were telling me about how they live near the physical college where I work out but I figure it will better to wait another 2 and a half months, so I have something to look forward to.

So that was my week in as few words as possible. Exciting eh?

I also wanted to include some of my favourite quotes from the week.

Bangkok:

Jula: “I don’t think I could do it, I don’t think I could live here for a year.”

Ajan Anuch: “Do you feel safe travelling alone? Oh well its adventure you will learn from danger.”

Pattaya:

Goi: “eww the guys here are so gross.”

Khorat:

Various people in reference to crossing the road: “You have to want it more than they do.”

Luis:” Wow, you look sawai mak.”

Annie: “Do you ever look outside and think I am in Asia? Why the ____ am I an Asia?”

Enjoy that food for thought.

Xoxox Chantel <3

Bangkok Day One

 Well, I did it. I made it two Bangkok with two arms, two legs and one very confused head. I even managed to get off at the pit stop go on a junk food shopping spree and make it back on my bus. Unfortunately, it took me two tries to actually find the right big blue bus, but eventually I did find it.

In respect to the sense of adventure I am taking by travelling to Bangkok, I will also be taking another adventure in to the world of video blogging.

So check out  my first episode about my first day in Bangkok!

xoxo Chantel <3

Trip to Bangkok

 Ok, so just a follow up post, on today’s earlier post. I WILL BE GOING TO BANGKOK TOMORROW!

Who: Me, Chantelle Gabrielle Ouellet

Who will be picking me up: My councillor who I met briefly once and then ditched me at a random school with a random 13 year old, who also ditched me.

What:  yeah, I am asking the same question...

What will I be doing: Helping out at some English camps during the month of October and hopefully touring around Bangkok.

What will I be bringing: My school bag because according to my host mother bringing a carry on suitcase is too inconvenient for these camps. Funny how she knows a tiny suitcase is too inconvenient for these camps yet she knows nothing else about them. -___- So yeay, for living out of my school bag for a month.

Where: Bangkok

Where will I be staying in Bangkok: I don’t know, I asked my host mom where  I would be staying and she said Bangkok, I then asked if I would be staying at a hotel for duration of the camps and she said, I don’t know, I know nothing about this program... great. Yet your sending your exchange daughter and insisting she only bring her school bag.

Where will I be staying when not at the camps: at my councillors daughters house who apparently has her ex host family from Germany visiting. Yeay another language I have to endure.

When: Tomorrow until the 30^th of October

When tomorrow, will you leave: I guess when they yell, “Bah!” at me. Bah means lets go and they always yell it at me like you idiot how come you are not already in the car I mean  seriously it’s not all that sporadic that we randomly decided to go out for dinner with no warning and not tell you even though you have already changed into your pyjamas.

Why: Because my host mom told me I had to go.

How: By bus.

How will you get to the camp: I don’t know.

How will you survive three weeks on four outfits: Hopefully, there are laundry facilities.

How will you contact your beloved bloggers to tell them about your adventure: I am just hoping whatever weird hotel I end up in has free internet.

How will did you end up in such a wacky situation: By becoming an exchange student.

Bon Voyage everyone, I will try and keep you updated on this latest adventure as often as internet connection and time allow. I will however right blog posts regularly and post them eventually.

Wish me luck!

 No seriously, stop what you are doing and wish me luck, if you are religious pray for my luck and if you believe in telekinesis, send me words of wisdom and luck.

Xoxo Chantel <3

My New Hobbies

 OK so maybe I need to blog more often about life in Thailand as it is everyday instead of just when something exciting happens. Because believe it or not even in a foreign country in South East Asia you can have your bad days of boredom. For me it has been hard trying to entertain myself in this foreign country alone for the past three weeks but, I have managed with a few adventures that I have told you about. Although my school break is sadly coming to an end on Monday. I will not be returning to school until November.

My councillor has asked that I participate in an English camp as a volunteer “foreign helper,” supposedly there will be other exchange students there but I don’t really know.  Word for word all the information I have been given is:

“It’s in Bangkok”

“You make money, but not a lot”

“You teach English”

“For the rest of the month”

“Oh you stay with your councillor’s daughter, you will meet her there”

“You travel around Bangkok”

“Yeah other foreigners will be there”

“You take a bus there”

“You leave on Sunday”

So as you can imagine, I am kinda like woooaahhh, you are sending me to Bangkok with the phone numbers of some lady I have never met and telling me I can travel. AWESOME!!!! But also kinda scary.

 So yeah maybe, I don’t know where I am actually staying, or what to do once my bus actually arrives. Maybe I don’t know how much it costs, or what exactly teaching English entails. So what, I mean, I am a sixteen year old girl apparently travelling alone in Thailand, how much planning do you need?

 Well, I have learned to take everything with a grain of salt and just go with it and hope for the best. If worst comes to worst I can just get back on a bus home.

 In the mean time, I have been spending all my free time doing one of five things.

1.       Yoga

2.       Watching movies online

3.       Reading travel blogs

4.       Journaling

5.       Emailing my mom

And I actually want to talk to you guys about some awesome blogs, I have been reading that really make me want to get out and travel.  I never realised until after really reading into hard-core travellers lives that Thailand was such a coveted destination. I mean yes, I love it here. But eleven months ago, I didn’t even know Thailand existed apart from the Tsunami in 2004 when I saw the news and ran and grabbed a poncho from Old Navy that was made in Thailand. Back then, I didn’t even think about visiting Thailand. But now, I realize that, by being sent to Thailand, Rotary has kick started a life of real and exciting travel instead of that touristy fluff and for that I am very thankful. Now I realize that, the most amazing countries aren’t the ones you hear about your cousins, or your friends or that person you know going to. It’s the countries people rarely go to.

For some fun travel stories I recommend these blogs:

http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/

This blog was recommended on National Geographic’s website and always features unique and interesting stories about some of the most adventurous people in the world

http://www.travelettes.net/

 This blogs tag line is “Backpacking in heels.” I think that basically covers it.

http://www.ytravelblog.com/

This blog is a great site for information on how to travel young, and always tells great stories and has great advice.

These are all amazing blogs I thoroughly enjoy, who knows maybe you will too.

When I am not reading blogs I am faithfully emailing my mother any thought that crosses my mind. From frequent freak outs, to Christmas lists, to future plans for university and travel. I fill up her inbox time and time again. You know you are bored when your mom becomes your best friend over the internet. Wow, how lame!!

 When, I am not emailing my mom, I can be found watching movies. In the past 3 weeks I have watched 25 movies. This is a lot considering, I used to be the girl who couldn’t sit through a whole movie. I guess my attention span has been widened? Maybe extreme boredom does that.

Then there is Yoga, although, I get lots of strange looks from my family as I sit on the front porch in Downward Dog, I really enjoy it.  I also really enjoy meditating. I have become really good at it. I mean I can meditate for like half an hour without losing focus and I don’t flinch when flies land on my eyelids or anything. I am like a beautiful divine creature. XD Until a bug tries to crawl in my mouth, or a lizard jumps on me then I lose my cool and run around screaming. But for a while, all is peaceful.

So yep, that is my life in Thailand.

Xoxo Chantel <3

Motorcycles, Farangs and Sparklers

 Yesterday, I had an adventure.

 My day started out like any other by waking up late and sitting on the couch for the morning watching movies on my laptop. I was pretty depressed you know after watching movies all day every day for two weeks straight, you would be too. That is when I decided I HAD to get out of the house.

 I saw my friend Tack was online on Facebook, and luckily she wasn’t busy. I suggested she take me for a ride on her motorcycle. Thai teenagers love to take me out on their motorcycles because I think it is so awesome.  So she invited me to go to her house for the afternoon. She picked me up on her motorcycle and we started off. We drove down the main street, I go down every day and then we turned off onto this little two lane road, heading basically nowhere. We drove for miles on this two lane road surrounded by endless rice fields. It was so beautiful. Just imagine speeding down this empty two lane road in the middle of these vast rice fields on a sunny day in Thailand. It was awesome.

 We started approaching her little teeny tiny village. It was just sitting there in the middle of these rice fields.  There was one little teeny tiny temple and a little convenience store. We drove down this tiny alley way that was filled with chicken and Thai children running around. Then we came up to her house. In her small village people live really close together and everyone just kinda hangs out, outside.  There was a lady across the road just lying in a hammock nursing her baby, there were children running up and down the alley, my friend’s grandmother was frying crab over a fire, and right next door, a family was making purses.

Tack told me that, they make bags by hand here and sell them. Then she brought me to another house down the lane where they make even more styles of bags.  It was a Sunday so everyone in the family was working even; the kids were cutting out rivets for the bags. They asked if I wanted to buy one and I couldn’t resist, after seeing where it was made, I thought it would be worth it.

Next Tack took me on her motorcycle to the reservoirs where the local children like to swim.  Me and Tack went down to like a drainage pipe thing and were crouching in the shade with our feet in the water, talking when I looked up and saw all the village kids standing there staring at me. They had this what is the crazy foreigner doing look on their face. They stared for a bit then got in the water. The kids just come whenever and jump in. No parents or people watching them. They played in the water for a while until a lady who was nearby chased them away, because she was afraid of them getting hurt. It really made me think of that quote,” It takes a village to raise a child.”

We went back to Tack’s house and I played with her little brother for a bit. He is ten years old and very friendly. He showed me his yo-yos and gave me some sunflower seeds to eat. Then I guess he wanted to take the Farang (foreigner) to a farang (a type of fruit) tree. So all three of us, Tack, her younger brother and I, pile on the motorcycle and take off on some dirt road in the rice fields. We drove for quite a while before we parked the motorcycle on the side of the road and walked to a little opening in the rice patties. Now one thing you should know about rice, it’s grown in water, in a marsh like environment. So we stepped into this ankle deep water and followed Tacks, ten year old brother along this clay path in the water, in the middle of the rice fields. This clay path was put in by farmers, to check their crops. It is about a foot wide about 3 inches under water and if you step off it by the slightest bit you are waste deep in rice water. YUMM YUMM. So as you can guess, I was soaked by the time we finally made it to this little dry patch with a farang tree and two patches of wild bamboo. Yep just sitting there in the middle of the rice field. My friend’s brother then went on to climb the tree to retrieve us down the biggest and bestest farang he could find. He pranced from branch to branch walking out on limbs and swinging down from the top. He reminded me of Mowgli from the Jungle book. After we ate all the good farang we could find, we walked back out of the rice fields and drove home.

Tack had to tidy up and buy dinner so I played with her little brother. He gave me these little exploding things; they are like a powder wrapped up in white tissue, that when you throw at the ground they explode. He gave me half and he took half and we threw them at each other’s feet for a while before dinner.  Then we ate dinner which was some crazy Thai food that I don’t really know the name of or what it consisted of. However I did know that there were these little tiny crabs and a charcoaled fish that the grandma had cooked over the fire. I am not sure where these came from so I tried a little bit of the crab and ate the fish. Did I mention we put the food on a mat on the floor and then sat on the floor to eat? That was a first for me, but I liked it.

After dinner Tacks brother lit me sparklers and we played with those for a while, spinning around and waving them in the air. He thought it was so funny because I couldn’t work the lighter yet he, a ten year old boy could. Thailand isn’t big on safety.

After that tack and her brother drove me home. It was the perfect day.