I was awaken at about midnight last night to the biggest and loudest thunder I have ever experienced. It started raining unlike anything I've ever seen and the lightning and thunder was incredible. I actually got out of bed and went to watch the storm from the windows. After about 30 minutes the rain stopped and so did the thunder. It was amazing and scary at the same time.
After aerobics last night we stopped to get my favorite dessert and this time I actually took pictures of how it is made and what it looks like. As soon as school starts up again and I can get internet on my laptop I will post them. Last week Goon the head of the roller blade club lent me some roller blades and after I was done I gave them back. That night it started pouring and he ran to his car and put all the other roller blades but forgot mine. He came back the next day and they were gone, stolen. He said they were over 1000 baht which is only like $30 but for Thais that's a lot. To my surprise he found them and brought them to me in the middle of aerobics yesterday. After I finished aerobics we went into the store and walked past a fish spa. Something completely new to me. You basically stick you feet and calves into a pool of water with fish that eat your dead skin. Leaving your legs silky smooth. They have them all over the place and I'm hoping that maybe before aerobics I can try it today and take some pictures. It is soo cool.
I've been praying for something to do and it turns out my prayers were answered. Tomorrow night I will be going to Chiang Mai to witness a Buddhist funeral, with my host mother. It is completely different from a christian funeral and I will tell all the details after I experience it. I can't wait to experience something so cultural. I will also get to see at least one other exchange student as it is her host grandma's funeral. It should be interesting and I will be sure to take lots of pictures.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
District Governor Comes To Chiang Kham
Last night we had a Rotary Party where we welcomed the district governor and his wife to our club. First they had a meeting with the committee and my host mother went to that and had someone come pick me up. When I arrived I was told the meeting was still going on so I went into the party room and attempted to understand and answer questions from other people. The meeting didn't end for and hour and half after I got there. Finally when they came in things got better I could understand more through my host mother translating. It was very uncomfortable being asked all these question in Thai and not having a clue what to answer. But the district governor gave a super long speech during which five men fell asleep and then we had birthday cake to celebrate two birthdays. Dinner was not my favorite but I made up for it and ate plenty of fruit. This was the first time I've worn jewelery and or make up in a long time. I also got to wear and dress and my host mother said you look very beautiful tonight. One other lady at the table said she liked my dress so much she was going to look for one or make one like it for her daughter. Another said my eyes were beautiful and didn't believe that my eyelashes were real with a little help from mascara. She had to touch them to prove to herself that they were not fake. It was hilarious but who doesn't like being told by like 10 people that you look beautiful. It was a great night. On the way home my host mother asked if I needed some Rodee since I didn't really eat much for dinner and I said yes but when we got there he was gone it was about 10:30 p.m. So she promised that today I will get some after I burn off the calories at aerobics I can go eat them back, this made her laugh. On the way home she also apologized for not getting to spend anytime with me all day. Which I thought was super cute, until 8 pm I hadn't even seen her. She explained that a worker was delivering rice and it got wet from rain and he brought it to the customer anyways. The costumer didn't want it wet so he made him go back and it turned out to cost the company 120,000 baht. The driver said he was sorry and she told him to wait a minute and she would figure out what to do. She was going to make him pay for the damage. When she came back he was gone and now she has to track him down, through Thailand and try to get this money back. She is very worried and I told her I understood that she didn't have time to chat with me in the midst of all this. Today is another day of studying Thai, reading my book and maybe watching a movie before we head into town for aerobics and dinner.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tuesday
I'm excited because tonight is the first time I will wear a dress and the first time I will have worn makeup in over two weeks. The district governor is coming to our rotary club tonight so it's a big deal and I finally get to dress up. This will give me something to do. I actually am going to wear jewelery too, I can't wait. But before this I will read some more of my book, finish watching August Rush and study Thai.
Every Tuesday my host mother goes around the property to the 7 different god statues and brings them fruit and water and worships each one. This is what she is doing as we speak. They burn incense and offer the fruit and water up to the god's. It is very interesting to watch. A few days later she goes back and takes the fruit and gives it to her workers. Today she brought pears, apples and coconuts. I was counting the temples I saw on the drive into town yesterday and I asked my host mother how many temples were in Chiang Kham and she said well each village has one and there are over 100 villages so there are over 100 temples. I was expecting like 20 or 30 at most this just blew my mind. I asked if you were only allowed to worship at the temple in you village and she said no you can go and worship in any temple. It was just weird. Waconia has like maybe 5 churches to have 100 temples I can't even compare. The villages that have more people to donate more money have nicer temples and the opposite for the temples that don't get as big of donations.
I'm awaiting a package from my mother that should be here today or tomorrow! I can't wait, it's the little things that bring me up. Only 8 days until RYLA and then after that I might be going to Chiang Mai to hang with my friends and then the trip and then school starts back up. So all I really need to do is make it through these next eight days. Easier said than done unfortunately. No aerobics tonight as the Rotary Meeting is right after and I would be all sweaty and wouldn't be dressed appropriately. I guess the guy who brought the roller blades for me was in a big hurry and put all the other kids roller blades in his car one night because it just started pouring rain and he forgot my roller blades. He came back the next day and they were gone, someone stole them. I guess they were over 1000 baht which is only like 30 dollars but for here that's expensive. That could pay for my school lunch for four months or buy 4 pairs of nice shoes here. I can't wait for tonight and have to stop writing now because my host father is circling me because he needs to use it. Hasn't said anything but keeps circling and pacing back and forth. A very non-confrontational society.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Every Tuesday my host mother goes around the property to the 7 different god statues and brings them fruit and water and worships each one. This is what she is doing as we speak. They burn incense and offer the fruit and water up to the god's. It is very interesting to watch. A few days later she goes back and takes the fruit and gives it to her workers. Today she brought pears, apples and coconuts. I was counting the temples I saw on the drive into town yesterday and I asked my host mother how many temples were in Chiang Kham and she said well each village has one and there are over 100 villages so there are over 100 temples. I was expecting like 20 or 30 at most this just blew my mind. I asked if you were only allowed to worship at the temple in you village and she said no you can go and worship in any temple. It was just weird. Waconia has like maybe 5 churches to have 100 temples I can't even compare. The villages that have more people to donate more money have nicer temples and the opposite for the temples that don't get as big of donations.
I'm awaiting a package from my mother that should be here today or tomorrow! I can't wait, it's the little things that bring me up. Only 8 days until RYLA and then after that I might be going to Chiang Mai to hang with my friends and then the trip and then school starts back up. So all I really need to do is make it through these next eight days. Easier said than done unfortunately. No aerobics tonight as the Rotary Meeting is right after and I would be all sweaty and wouldn't be dressed appropriately. I guess the guy who brought the roller blades for me was in a big hurry and put all the other kids roller blades in his car one night because it just started pouring rain and he forgot my roller blades. He came back the next day and they were gone, someone stole them. I guess they were over 1000 baht which is only like 30 dollars but for here that's expensive. That could pay for my school lunch for four months or buy 4 pairs of nice shoes here. I can't wait for tonight and have to stop writing now because my host father is circling me because he needs to use it. Hasn't said anything but keeps circling and pacing back and forth. A very non-confrontational society.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Monday...Day 4 of Break
Last night we attempted to go to aerobics again. However it was pouring rain so instead we got dinner at this restaurant where we have been several times but for some reason this time I found it particularly (aroi) Thai for delicious. We started with a dish called Paet Bon leafy greens sauteed with garlic and chili's. It was so delicious but was sooo spicy. My lips continued to burn for about two hours after dinner. Then we had a fried fish with garlic and pepper, after that a bread thing made out of shrimp. Which was good at first but than got kind of nasty. Anyways dinner was delicious. I ate until I was (Leao) full. After that we got home and played a game sort of like Jenga but you build it instead of trying not to make it fall. The tricky part is the pieces are round and they roll and you use chopsticks not your hands. It was fun and I had my little sister Ping laughing at my inability to use chop sticks. I was taught a few Thai words and my host father clapped when he heard me say them. Since we don't talk much he was surprised to hear me say it. It was really cute. After that I went onto facebook and showed my host mother and sister pictures of my graduation party and just pictures of my life. It was fun and a great bonding experience. I went to my room and watched My Sister's Keeper, an amazing yet sad movie and then went to bed.
I woke up today at 9 which is the latest I've been able to sleep in since being here. I was so excited, my bodies officially adjusting. I woke up to find the workers making a brick path to the house unlike the weeds, with snakes and huge frogs that I have been walking through every night in the dark. When they are finished I will take a picture. It will be so nice even though I'm only in this house for like a month or two longer. Better late than never. It will be less traumatic walking to my room every night now. I'm planning on doing aerobics tonight and I can't wait. I made myself a pancake for breakfast and went to eat it and found my host father actually using the weights. Something that I didn't even think got use. I'm thinking I might use them if I get really bored today. It's just wierd lifting weights when you have the family the two maids and the workers walking by you constantly. I'm planning on watching The Day After Tommorow and reading some more before aerobics. All is well, I'm starting to enjoy the food and getting used to the heat.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
I woke up today at 9 which is the latest I've been able to sleep in since being here. I was so excited, my bodies officially adjusting. I woke up to find the workers making a brick path to the house unlike the weeds, with snakes and huge frogs that I have been walking through every night in the dark. When they are finished I will take a picture. It will be so nice even though I'm only in this house for like a month or two longer. Better late than never. It will be less traumatic walking to my room every night now. I'm planning on doing aerobics tonight and I can't wait. I made myself a pancake for breakfast and went to eat it and found my host father actually using the weights. Something that I didn't even think got use. I'm thinking I might use them if I get really bored today. It's just wierd lifting weights when you have the family the two maids and the workers walking by you constantly. I'm planning on watching The Day After Tommorow and reading some more before aerobics. All is well, I'm starting to enjoy the food and getting used to the heat.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Sunday
Today I was rudely awoken at 7 am to the noise of the workers cutting down a vine that has grown into my bathroom, through the window screen. I showed this to my host mother last night and she assured me that she would have a worker cut it down. I didn't realize that this would mean at 7 am when I'm trying my hardest to sleep in. I just put a pillow over my head and tried to sleep for another half and hour before giving up. It's been three hours and they are still cutting the grass around the guest house, so I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyways.
This morning started out really sunny and hot and I actually am wearing a tank top, the first time since arriving. The culture is very conservative so before I knew my boundaries and I didn't want to push them. But know I can comfortably wear a tank top which is nice. However it was really sunny and now looks like it will rain within the hour which is nice because it cools things off.
To prevent being bored over break I am planning to take a bus to Chiang Mai about 4 hours to visit other exchange students in between trips. I hope this works out, it will give me a chance to explore Chiang Mai and hang with my closest friends here. Don't get me wrong the kids at school are so nice but with the language barrier its hard to get super close to any of them. These girls are all in the same boat as me and all speak English so we have become super close. They all get to go to the same school together while I'm up here by myself. But in a way I'm grateful for this, it means I will get more of a cultural experience and a chance to make long lasting Thai friends not just YE friends.
It was super nice that my host mother wasn't super busy yesterday. We actually got to talk about my life back home and I learned a little bit more about the family. She has been married for 17 years and has learned to let her husband do whatever he wants whenever he wants and not to worry. We had this long discussion because two of her workers are getting divorced and if they do they will not work for her anymore so she went and talked to them, as a counselor to get them to work things out. When she got done we went to dinner and had a long discussion about all of this. It was nice bonding time. I feel that despite her being super busy all the time we have bonded pretty well.
Yesterday I read my latest book, Eat,Pray,Love and watched the movie The Holiday and studied Thai with this free computer program which I have on my computer. I'm proud to announce that I'm up to 72 words in my vocabulary just on this program. I have the greeting down, places, animals, colors and days of the week. The language is finally starting to click a little better. I'm no where near conversation yet but I can understand bits and pieces of when other people are talking. I also lucky to receive my birthday card from my Grandparents last night and it made my day! It was so cute and super early which is always nice.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
This morning started out really sunny and hot and I actually am wearing a tank top, the first time since arriving. The culture is very conservative so before I knew my boundaries and I didn't want to push them. But know I can comfortably wear a tank top which is nice. However it was really sunny and now looks like it will rain within the hour which is nice because it cools things off.
To prevent being bored over break I am planning to take a bus to Chiang Mai about 4 hours to visit other exchange students in between trips. I hope this works out, it will give me a chance to explore Chiang Mai and hang with my closest friends here. Don't get me wrong the kids at school are so nice but with the language barrier its hard to get super close to any of them. These girls are all in the same boat as me and all speak English so we have become super close. They all get to go to the same school together while I'm up here by myself. But in a way I'm grateful for this, it means I will get more of a cultural experience and a chance to make long lasting Thai friends not just YE friends.
It was super nice that my host mother wasn't super busy yesterday. We actually got to talk about my life back home and I learned a little bit more about the family. She has been married for 17 years and has learned to let her husband do whatever he wants whenever he wants and not to worry. We had this long discussion because two of her workers are getting divorced and if they do they will not work for her anymore so she went and talked to them, as a counselor to get them to work things out. When she got done we went to dinner and had a long discussion about all of this. It was nice bonding time. I feel that despite her being super busy all the time we have bonded pretty well.
Yesterday I read my latest book, Eat,Pray,Love and watched the movie The Holiday and studied Thai with this free computer program which I have on my computer. I'm proud to announce that I'm up to 72 words in my vocabulary just on this program. I have the greeting down, places, animals, colors and days of the week. The language is finally starting to click a little better. I'm no where near conversation yet but I can understand bits and pieces of when other people are talking. I also lucky to receive my birthday card from my Grandparents last night and it made my day! It was so cute and super early which is always nice.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Eating
Someone who has never traveled to an Asian country would be very surprised to find that they don't eat with knives. They have a fork in the left hand and a spoon in the right hand. The fork is only used to push food onto the spoon. They eat Chinese food with chopsticks and noodles. They only use the chopsticks to put the noodles on the spoon, not to actually put food in there mouth. I'm being taught how to use chopsticks and still getting used to the no knife thing. You just kind of have to saw through your food with your spoon to cut it. All the meat is already in bite-size pieces so you never have to cut the meat.
New Fruits
New Fruits:
-Durian- People don't like it because of it's strong smell, it's a creamy fruit and is not very sweet
-Dragonfruit- Can come bright purple or white with seeds in it, the consistency of kiwi but not as sweet
-Rambutan- Spiky outside that you crack open to get the fruit in your mouth and eat the fruit off the seed
-Tamarind- You can pick it right off of trees and eat it, very sour or they sell it dried with salt on it at 7-Eleven
-Starfruit- Bigger than any in the U.S. and they eat them right off of the tree
-Pears- Have the consistency of apples and are not quite as sweet
-Som-mo- Som is the word for orange and this is a mix between an orange and a grapefruit. Three times the size of a grapefruit and a green rind, that you cut off and then peel it like an orange. The fruit is a white color and is sweet like an orange and bitter like a grapefruit.
-Durian- People don't like it because of it's strong smell, it's a creamy fruit and is not very sweet
-Dragonfruit- Can come bright purple or white with seeds in it, the consistency of kiwi but not as sweet
-Rambutan- Spiky outside that you crack open to get the fruit in your mouth and eat the fruit off the seed
-Tamarind- You can pick it right off of trees and eat it, very sour or they sell it dried with salt on it at 7-Eleven
-Starfruit- Bigger than any in the U.S. and they eat them right off of the tree
-Pears- Have the consistency of apples and are not quite as sweet
-Som-mo- Som is the word for orange and this is a mix between an orange and a grapefruit. Three times the size of a grapefruit and a green rind, that you cut off and then peel it like an orange. The fruit is a white color and is sweet like an orange and bitter like a grapefruit.
My Central Thailand Trip Itinerary
Rotary International D3360 THAILAND
Youth Exchange Program
254 Taladkao Rd., Suandok, Muang, Lampang Thailand 52100 Tel: 66-54 22-7722 Fax: 66-54 22-2998 E-Mail: yepd3360@yahoo.com
Central Trip for YE Inbound Students Year 2010-2011
Chiang Mai, Lampang, Sukhothai, Suphanburi, Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin), Ratchaburi, Samut SongKhram and Ayutthaya (Bang Pa-in Summer Palace)
October 18-25, 2010
Monday Oct. 18, 2010 Chiang Mai – Lampang – Sukhothai – Suphanburi
05:30 a.m. All students who live in Chiang Mai meet at the meeting point,
Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel and depart for Lampang.
07:30 a.m. Pick up more students from Lampang (PTT Gasoline station)
and proceed to Sukhothai province visit the historic park of Sukhothai.
Other students meet infront of the park at 11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. Lunch at the restaurant before enjoy biking in the park.
15:00 p.m. Leave for Suphanburi province.
18:00 p.m. Dinner en route
20:00 p.m. Check in at the hotel.
(Will arrange 3 people in one room)
Tuesday Oct. 19, 2010 Bamboo Rafting / Kanchanaburi / Cha-Am Beach
07:00 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel and pack the luggage for checking out of the
hotel after breakfast leave for Kanchanaburi for bamboo
rafting. (shorts and dark color T-shirt will be proper for this event)
10:00 a.m. Bamboo rafting in the Kwae Noi River.
12:00 a.m. Lunch at the resort.
13:00 p.m. Visit the WW II cemetery that contains the graven of 6}892 soldiers
from many countries (USA, Holland, England, Germany) after that proceed to Phetchaburi.
16:00 p.m. Check in at Cha-am Methawalai Hotel
Enjoy swimming at the beach or hotel poor until dinner time.
18:30 p.m. Meet at the hotel lobby and have dinner together at the restaurant.
21:00 p.m. Back to the hotel and have a good night sleep.
Wednesday Oct. 20, 2010 Cha-Am / Hua Hin
08:00 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel
10:00 a.m. Visit the King Rama VI Summer palace.
(Prarajnivetch Maruka Thayawan)
Now it is converted to the head quarters office of the boarder police
Also well known as Rama VI Base or Kai Pra Ram Hok in Thai
language.
11:00 a.m. Visit Kao Takiap – Kao Krilas, the two mountains next to each other
(14 km. south of Hua Hin). Khao takiap is a mountain thrust into the
Sea with beautiful rocks and also has a large Buddha image facing
the sea.
There is a track go up to the mountain top for the beautiful scenery of
the sea and down town Hua Hin.
12:00 a.m. Lunch and enjoy swimming at the beach
18:00 p.m. Dinner at Hua Hin night market which is the highlight during the night
of Hua Hin. It has wide variety of food such as seafood Thai food and
dessert, Indian food, souvenir shops.
Thursday Oct. 21, 2010
Ratchaburi / Wax Museum / Floating market at Ampawa, Samut Songkhram province
07:00 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel.
Bring your luggage for check out of the hotel.
08:00 a.m. Depart for Ratchaburi.
Stop to pay a visit at Wat Nong Hoi where we have a very huge
goddess Ti Guan Yim.
11:30 a.m. Visit the Siam Cultural park (Wax Museum) and proceed to Ampawa
Floating market, Samut Songkhram to experiences Thai lifestyles of
living and the floating market.
16:30 p.m. Check in at the hotel – rest.
17:30 p.m. Ampawa Floating market and dinner at the market.
19:30 p.m. See the fire flies on the trees (riding the long tail boat).
21:30 p.m. Back to the hotel.
Friday Oct. 22, 2010 Nakhon Pathom – Bangkok / Royal Grand Palace
06:00 a.m. Morning call and be ready to experience offering food to the monks.
08:00 a.m. Back to hotel and have breakfast.
09:00 a.m. Boat riding to see the lifestyle of Thai community living in the river and
visit the temple which is the Unseen Thailand.
11:30 a.m. Check out from the hotel and depart for Nakhon Pathom province.
12:30 p.m. Lunch at Nakorn Pathom province and proceed to visit the Royal
Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Chakri
Maha Prasat Throne Hall is a beautiful landmark within the Royal
Grand Palace compounds. It was built in 1875 in Victorian Style
supervised by an English architect named John Clunish. The temple
of the Emerald Buddha constructed in the eastern section of the Royal
Palace in order to install the Emerald Buddha, which obtained from
the city of Vientiane in Laos. (Guide tour is provided in English Only)
17.00 p.m. If time permits we will stop at Rotary Center before checking in at
the hotel.
18:30 p.m. Check in at Palazzo Hotel, Ratchadaphisek and have dinner together
at the restaurant.
Saturday Oct. 23, 2010 Vimanmek Palace / Dinner Cruise
08:00 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel
09.00 a.m. Meet at the hotel lobby for visiting the “Vimanmek Palace” the golden
teak wood building which is the largest teak wood palace in the world.
It was built in 1901 as the Royal residence of King Chulalongkorn.
After having been renovated and opened to the public by H.M. Queen
Sirikit, it stands as a private museum where priceless treasures and a
collection of the late Kings memorable are on display.
12:00 a.m. Lunch at the most delicious noodle in Bkk.
15:30 p.m. Back to the hotel and prepare for the cruise trip.
17.30 p.m. Meet at the hotel lobby and proceed to the River City Pier for a very
special dinner on Chaopraya princess cruise. You can enjoy the
international dinner buffet, live music entertainment and dancing.
(Please be on time)
21.00 p.m. Back to the hotel and have a good night sleep.
Sunday Oct. 24, 2010 JJ market/ Dream World/ Free time for shopping
08:30 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel restaurant
09.30 a.m. Today is the optional tour for
- Dream World Amusement park as optional. Pay your own entrance
Fee. The coach will drop you off and pick up at 15:00 p.m.from
Dreamworld. Approximately the entrance fee for Dream world is
400-500 Baht.
- JJ market which is the most famous place for foreigners to shopping
(find your way back to the hotel –underground transportation is the
most cheapest and fastest )
- still stay overnight in the hotel
Monday Oct. 25, 2010 Ayutthaya – Chiang Mai (Last day of the trip)
07:00 a.m. Breakfast at hotel restaurant and bring your luggage down for
checking out.
08:00 a.m. Depart for Ayutthaya province – home to Thialand’s former capital, the
golden city of Ayutthaya, center of an empire that dominated almost
all of Southeast Asia and lasted 400 years, until it was destroyed and sacked by the Burmese in 1767.
Visit the summer palace Bang-Pa-In palace.
Stop at Bang-pa-in Summer Palace. The palace ia very European in
design. The buildings are laid out along an artificial ornamental pond.
The most obvious of the ornaments is a modern copy of a Khmer style
“prang”. In the pond you see what has become the “signature piece”
of Bang Pa In. It is an elegant Thai-style pavilion in the middle of a
pond, with the rather daunting title of “The divine seat of personal
freedom”. It is really the only examples of classical Thai architecture
within the palace and was built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
The inner palace are several buildings in various styles the main
residence is a modern reconstruction of the original building, still
occasionally used by the royal family, is not open to the public. The
only one open to the public, is the Chinese Style residence built in
China and gifted to King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) by the Chinese
Chamber of Commerce in 1889. You must remove your shoes to
enter and enjoy the ebony and red lacquer interior.
12:00 a.m. lunch on the way back to Chiang Mai
Drop students off at Kamphaengphet (Ptt Gasoline station).
Continue to travel back to Chiang Mai province
Box dinner will be given for those who continue to Chiang Mai and
Lampang
20:00 p.m. Arrive at Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel.
Parents come for pick up at the hotel.
END OF THE TRIP & BON VOYAGE
Youth Exchange Program
254 Taladkao Rd., Suandok, Muang, Lampang Thailand 52100 Tel: 66-54 22-7722 Fax: 66-54 22-2998 E-Mail: yepd3360@yahoo.com
Central Trip for YE Inbound Students Year 2010-2011
Chiang Mai, Lampang, Sukhothai, Suphanburi, Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin), Ratchaburi, Samut SongKhram and Ayutthaya (Bang Pa-in Summer Palace)
October 18-25, 2010
Monday Oct. 18, 2010 Chiang Mai – Lampang – Sukhothai – Suphanburi
05:30 a.m. All students who live in Chiang Mai meet at the meeting point,
Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel and depart for Lampang.
07:30 a.m. Pick up more students from Lampang (PTT Gasoline station)
and proceed to Sukhothai province visit the historic park of Sukhothai.
Other students meet infront of the park at 11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. Lunch at the restaurant before enjoy biking in the park.
15:00 p.m. Leave for Suphanburi province.
18:00 p.m. Dinner en route
20:00 p.m. Check in at the hotel.
(Will arrange 3 people in one room)
Tuesday Oct. 19, 2010 Bamboo Rafting / Kanchanaburi / Cha-Am Beach
07:00 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel and pack the luggage for checking out of the
hotel after breakfast leave for Kanchanaburi for bamboo
rafting. (shorts and dark color T-shirt will be proper for this event)
10:00 a.m. Bamboo rafting in the Kwae Noi River.
12:00 a.m. Lunch at the resort.
13:00 p.m. Visit the WW II cemetery that contains the graven of 6}892 soldiers
from many countries (USA, Holland, England, Germany) after that proceed to Phetchaburi.
16:00 p.m. Check in at Cha-am Methawalai Hotel
Enjoy swimming at the beach or hotel poor until dinner time.
18:30 p.m. Meet at the hotel lobby and have dinner together at the restaurant.
21:00 p.m. Back to the hotel and have a good night sleep.
Wednesday Oct. 20, 2010 Cha-Am / Hua Hin
08:00 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel
10:00 a.m. Visit the King Rama VI Summer palace.
(Prarajnivetch Maruka Thayawan)
Now it is converted to the head quarters office of the boarder police
Also well known as Rama VI Base or Kai Pra Ram Hok in Thai
language.
11:00 a.m. Visit Kao Takiap – Kao Krilas, the two mountains next to each other
(14 km. south of Hua Hin). Khao takiap is a mountain thrust into the
Sea with beautiful rocks and also has a large Buddha image facing
the sea.
There is a track go up to the mountain top for the beautiful scenery of
the sea and down town Hua Hin.
12:00 a.m. Lunch and enjoy swimming at the beach
18:00 p.m. Dinner at Hua Hin night market which is the highlight during the night
of Hua Hin. It has wide variety of food such as seafood Thai food and
dessert, Indian food, souvenir shops.
Thursday Oct. 21, 2010
Ratchaburi / Wax Museum / Floating market at Ampawa, Samut Songkhram province
07:00 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel.
Bring your luggage for check out of the hotel.
08:00 a.m. Depart for Ratchaburi.
Stop to pay a visit at Wat Nong Hoi where we have a very huge
goddess Ti Guan Yim.
11:30 a.m. Visit the Siam Cultural park (Wax Museum) and proceed to Ampawa
Floating market, Samut Songkhram to experiences Thai lifestyles of
living and the floating market.
16:30 p.m. Check in at the hotel – rest.
17:30 p.m. Ampawa Floating market and dinner at the market.
19:30 p.m. See the fire flies on the trees (riding the long tail boat).
21:30 p.m. Back to the hotel.
Friday Oct. 22, 2010 Nakhon Pathom – Bangkok / Royal Grand Palace
06:00 a.m. Morning call and be ready to experience offering food to the monks.
08:00 a.m. Back to hotel and have breakfast.
09:00 a.m. Boat riding to see the lifestyle of Thai community living in the river and
visit the temple which is the Unseen Thailand.
11:30 a.m. Check out from the hotel and depart for Nakhon Pathom province.
12:30 p.m. Lunch at Nakorn Pathom province and proceed to visit the Royal
Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Chakri
Maha Prasat Throne Hall is a beautiful landmark within the Royal
Grand Palace compounds. It was built in 1875 in Victorian Style
supervised by an English architect named John Clunish. The temple
of the Emerald Buddha constructed in the eastern section of the Royal
Palace in order to install the Emerald Buddha, which obtained from
the city of Vientiane in Laos. (Guide tour is provided in English Only)
17.00 p.m. If time permits we will stop at Rotary Center before checking in at
the hotel.
18:30 p.m. Check in at Palazzo Hotel, Ratchadaphisek and have dinner together
at the restaurant.
Saturday Oct. 23, 2010 Vimanmek Palace / Dinner Cruise
08:00 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel
09.00 a.m. Meet at the hotel lobby for visiting the “Vimanmek Palace” the golden
teak wood building which is the largest teak wood palace in the world.
It was built in 1901 as the Royal residence of King Chulalongkorn.
After having been renovated and opened to the public by H.M. Queen
Sirikit, it stands as a private museum where priceless treasures and a
collection of the late Kings memorable are on display.
12:00 a.m. Lunch at the most delicious noodle in Bkk.
15:30 p.m. Back to the hotel and prepare for the cruise trip.
17.30 p.m. Meet at the hotel lobby and proceed to the River City Pier for a very
special dinner on Chaopraya princess cruise. You can enjoy the
international dinner buffet, live music entertainment and dancing.
(Please be on time)
21.00 p.m. Back to the hotel and have a good night sleep.
Sunday Oct. 24, 2010 JJ market/ Dream World/ Free time for shopping
08:30 a.m. Breakfast at the hotel restaurant
09.30 a.m. Today is the optional tour for
- Dream World Amusement park as optional. Pay your own entrance
Fee. The coach will drop you off and pick up at 15:00 p.m.from
Dreamworld. Approximately the entrance fee for Dream world is
400-500 Baht.
- JJ market which is the most famous place for foreigners to shopping
(find your way back to the hotel –underground transportation is the
most cheapest and fastest )
- still stay overnight in the hotel
Monday Oct. 25, 2010 Ayutthaya – Chiang Mai (Last day of the trip)
07:00 a.m. Breakfast at hotel restaurant and bring your luggage down for
checking out.
08:00 a.m. Depart for Ayutthaya province – home to Thialand’s former capital, the
golden city of Ayutthaya, center of an empire that dominated almost
all of Southeast Asia and lasted 400 years, until it was destroyed and sacked by the Burmese in 1767.
Visit the summer palace Bang-Pa-In palace.
Stop at Bang-pa-in Summer Palace. The palace ia very European in
design. The buildings are laid out along an artificial ornamental pond.
The most obvious of the ornaments is a modern copy of a Khmer style
“prang”. In the pond you see what has become the “signature piece”
of Bang Pa In. It is an elegant Thai-style pavilion in the middle of a
pond, with the rather daunting title of “The divine seat of personal
freedom”. It is really the only examples of classical Thai architecture
within the palace and was built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
The inner palace are several buildings in various styles the main
residence is a modern reconstruction of the original building, still
occasionally used by the royal family, is not open to the public. The
only one open to the public, is the Chinese Style residence built in
China and gifted to King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) by the Chinese
Chamber of Commerce in 1889. You must remove your shoes to
enter and enjoy the ebony and red lacquer interior.
12:00 a.m. lunch on the way back to Chiang Mai
Drop students off at Kamphaengphet (Ptt Gasoline station).
Continue to travel back to Chiang Mai province
Box dinner will be given for those who continue to Chiang Mai and
Lampang
20:00 p.m. Arrive at Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel.
Parents come for pick up at the hotel.
END OF THE TRIP & BON VOYAGE
Friday, September 24, 2010
Aerobics
Last night when I arrived at aerobics, Goon the guy who runs the rollerblading club had a pair of roller blades for me. They are way to big and I am determined to find out how to tell him this today but I put them on and he helped me Rollerblade. They are so big that when I go to push off I almost twist my ankle every time. It was kind of a painful experience because of this but he was so nice and introduced me to all the kids by saying this is my friend from America her name is Fah and they all clapped. It was so cute. After about 20 minutes of that I took them off and put on my tennis shoes and got to aerobics. After aerobics the teacher came and introduced herself and talked to me a little bit. She is so nice, they are all so nice and I'm getting to do this 6 days a week. It will get me in better shape.
Today however is another day of watching movies and reading. I actually studied Thai for about two hours yesterday. I also got to see if Skype works at my second hosts house and it does! I didn't have my microphone with me but I got the grand tour of Emily Mueller's dorm room. It was so cool and so nice to see her again. I can't wait. Today I will be reading Eat, Pray, Love and watching The Holiday on my laptop, after of course studying Thai. Later tonight I will get to go into town and do aerobics. Which helps me feel productive even if I've done nothing all day. I might even make one of my boxes of macaroni and cheese for lunch. I can't eat the whole thing even if I wanted to so I won't make it unless my host mother wants some as well. I bought some movies off of itunes and found out with the connection they take about two hours each to download and you need internet to do that. So I got one and the rest will have to wait until I go back to school or to my second house where I can get internet on my laptop. I bought both Princess Diaries and Parent Trap! I'm so excited to watch them. I also bought the episodes of season 8 One Tree Hill that I've missed so hopefully I can get those and watch them soon!!!!
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Today however is another day of watching movies and reading. I actually studied Thai for about two hours yesterday. I also got to see if Skype works at my second hosts house and it does! I didn't have my microphone with me but I got the grand tour of Emily Mueller's dorm room. It was so cool and so nice to see her again. I can't wait. Today I will be reading Eat, Pray, Love and watching The Holiday on my laptop, after of course studying Thai. Later tonight I will get to go into town and do aerobics. Which helps me feel productive even if I've done nothing all day. I might even make one of my boxes of macaroni and cheese for lunch. I can't eat the whole thing even if I wanted to so I won't make it unless my host mother wants some as well. I bought some movies off of itunes and found out with the connection they take about two hours each to download and you need internet to do that. So I got one and the rest will have to wait until I go back to school or to my second house where I can get internet on my laptop. I bought both Princess Diaries and Parent Trap! I'm so excited to watch them. I also bought the episodes of season 8 One Tree Hill that I've missed so hopefully I can get those and watch them soon!!!!
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Chin comes home tonight!
Today is day two of my break and I am taking it easy. I slept in until nine, the latest I've been able to since arriving. It helped that I stayed up pretty late too. Then I ate breakfast of dragon fruit and pineapple juice. I just checked my emails and am now updating my blog. After this I plan to study Thai and watch the movie Date Night on my laptop. Tonight I will be doing aerobics again and then heading back to my home outside of town. I have been at my second hosts house for the past two days as my mother is in Bangkok. The dragon fruit stained my tongue and hands bright purple it looks really weird. I also just discovered about 30 mosquito bites on my legs. I think I got them while I slept and now they are really starting to itch. I might walk to 7-Eleven and get a small Slurpee when it gets really hot this afternoon. It's very refreshing and only 25 cents. I was talking to a kids in my class on facebook last night and he promised that when we get back from break he will teach me Thai. It's hard because they all want to work on their English with me but I really need to be hearing and speaking Thai for me to gain any language while here. But he promised and if he does the other kids will follow. I plan on teaching myself as much as possible before school starts back up again so I can impress them. I hope I don't get to bored today, hopefully I can actually learn some Thai. I can't wait for aerobics, the guy who runs a kids rollerblading club after school there said something to me last night in Thai that I couldn't understand. I think he might want to teach me how to Rollerblade, but I have no idea. We will find out. I doubt they have Rollerblades in my size. The ladies do aerobics while the kids Rollerblade in circles behind them. It's cute because they all love this guy and he is helping them stay healthy. I hope I can keep this up because I already feel better from one week of aerobics. The ladies are all welcoming even if sometimes I have no idea what I'm doing. They don't talk to me because they can't speak English but they all offer a smile. I guess that's why Thailand is called land of the smiles.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Saturday
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| Lizards |
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| Weights by the dinner table |
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| Kitchen |
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| Stove |
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| Water System |
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| Laundry Room |
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| Factory and piles of corn |
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| Walking Path |
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| Workers House |
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| View from house |
Sad Sad Day
I arrived at KruLiw's house and found the door open but no one inside. I knocked, I went inside and knocked on the bedroom door and then went back outside and called like six times, no answer. So I sat at the table outside and watched a movie on my laptop that I brought with. Finally about an hour later she called me back and told me she was back in her hometown. Her husband bought her a plane ticket. She's moved back there and said she had a bad experience in Chiang Kham. By the time I hung up the phone I was in tears. I don't know what happened I guess I just had my hopes up and in a few minutes they all came crashing down. Once I calmed down I called for a ride home, then stopped at 7-Eleven and got a Slurpee, always makes me feel better. Now I'm sitting at home with nothing to do. Hopefully I get to do aerobics tonight! It will make me feel a lot better I'm sure. So as usual there are many highs and many lows. I was up so high that I just came crashing down and now have the rest of the day to think of things I can do over break to stay busy.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Celebration of The Full Moon
Last night we went to the Chinese Temple in town and had a dinner sponsored by Rotary. There were over a hundred tables and we were served 11 dishes. They had karaoke and were selling lottery tickets and sending the money to charity. Every table had water, pop, sparkling water, and whiskey all included with the meal. It was an interesting set-up. The 11 dishes were some of the strangest and grossest food I have ever seen. I only was able to eat from one of the dishes. It was a cool experience though. Normally they eat the traditional moon cake for dessert which is like a crust with egg and fruit inside, but for some reason they didn't.
As soon as I finish writing this I'm off to KruLiw's house to learn some Thai and some Thai cooking. It should be fun. Hopefully we can talk and get the whole hosting on the weekends thing figured out. I really don't know what I'm going to do over break. I'm bored already and it just started. I'm going to see if I can take the overnight bus to Chiang Mai and see if some of the other exchange students would host me for a week so I can spend time with them and have fun. If this plan doesn't work out I don't know what I will do.
I gotta run and get to KruLiw's House....so until later, Dacotah Smith
As soon as I finish writing this I'm off to KruLiw's house to learn some Thai and some Thai cooking. It should be fun. Hopefully we can talk and get the whole hosting on the weekends thing figured out. I really don't know what I'm going to do over break. I'm bored already and it just started. I'm going to see if I can take the overnight bus to Chiang Mai and see if some of the other exchange students would host me for a week so I can spend time with them and have fun. If this plan doesn't work out I don't know what I will do.
I gotta run and get to KruLiw's House....so until later, Dacotah Smith
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Last Day of School!
Today is my last day of school for a month. We have semester break until November. My host mother left today for Bangkok to take her dad to the hospital for a check up after his back surgery. She told me last night and left today...not much heads up. I am staying with her sister and instead of aerobics tonight we are going to a Chinese restaurant for a celebration. Which is nice after two days of aerobics I'm very sore.
One thing that I found very interesting is last night after school we were dropped off at Grandma's house and she yelled at my little sister to the point of making her cry and then called Chin to let her know that she was done. I found it kind of sad that she couldn't punish her child herself and made her mother do it. This way Ping is not made at her but her grandma. I don't know if this is cultural or just a family thing but it kind of upset me and I felt bad for Ping.
The students have been filling out applications for school and copying each others work, which they call studying so I have been bored at school. I finished a book in two days and they all thought that was amazing. The end of the semester is coming up so they have to finish all there work and one person has it done and the rest copy the whole book. Something that would never fly in the U.S. They are also watching music videos. Interesting way of lifestyle. When I asked what they were doing during break they all said they are going to Chiang Mai to study. I keep thinking if you studied in school you wouldn't have to spend every other hour of your life studying. I also asked what they do when there not studying and they said go on facebook, watch movies and play computer games. Interesting because whenever I have free time I want to hang with friends or go get some exercise. This concept is completely foreign to them. We spent a good hour comparing and contrasting different school systems. You'd be surprised how corrupted the system is here.
I have no idea what I'm going to do over break when I'm not on my trips. I asked my host mother if she could think of anything for me to do and she said she'd think about it. I hope I don't get to bored since everyone will be gone. I do have two trips and my birthday so hopefully it goes by fast. If anyone has any ideas let me know.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
One thing that I found very interesting is last night after school we were dropped off at Grandma's house and she yelled at my little sister to the point of making her cry and then called Chin to let her know that she was done. I found it kind of sad that she couldn't punish her child herself and made her mother do it. This way Ping is not made at her but her grandma. I don't know if this is cultural or just a family thing but it kind of upset me and I felt bad for Ping.
The students have been filling out applications for school and copying each others work, which they call studying so I have been bored at school. I finished a book in two days and they all thought that was amazing. The end of the semester is coming up so they have to finish all there work and one person has it done and the rest copy the whole book. Something that would never fly in the U.S. They are also watching music videos. Interesting way of lifestyle. When I asked what they were doing during break they all said they are going to Chiang Mai to study. I keep thinking if you studied in school you wouldn't have to spend every other hour of your life studying. I also asked what they do when there not studying and they said go on facebook, watch movies and play computer games. Interesting because whenever I have free time I want to hang with friends or go get some exercise. This concept is completely foreign to them. We spent a good hour comparing and contrasting different school systems. You'd be surprised how corrupted the system is here.
I have no idea what I'm going to do over break when I'm not on my trips. I asked my host mother if she could think of anything for me to do and she said she'd think about it. I hope I don't get to bored since everyone will be gone. I do have two trips and my birthday so hopefully it goes by fast. If anyone has any ideas let me know.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Monday, September 20, 2010
Aerobics
Aerobics last night was great. The upbeat music and just moving and fresh air made me feel so much better. I did however sweat like a dog. It was very nice and I will be doing it everyday after school. After that we went and had dinner at the restaurant in the grocery store.Some might find it weird but with every meal there are red pepper flakes, a spicy vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. I didn't try it until my friends at orientation insisted but I've learned that Pad Thai is so much better with sugar on it. Yes putting sugar on your noodles may seem weird but it makes it taste so much better.
When we got home to my utter delight I had two packages waiting for me! From my Grandparents. Lots of books and m&m's and some healthier snacks. It was such a great surprise, it made my week. I don't know what I'm going to do over break to stay not bored. But I do have books to read now if all else fails. Break starts next week for the high school and not until October 10th for the rest of the school. I hope I can find some friends to hang with so I don't get overwhelmingly bored.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
When we got home to my utter delight I had two packages waiting for me! From my Grandparents. Lots of books and m&m's and some healthier snacks. It was such a great surprise, it made my week. I don't know what I'm going to do over break to stay not bored. But I do have books to read now if all else fails. Break starts next week for the high school and not until October 10th for the rest of the school. I hope I can find some friends to hang with so I don't get overwhelmingly bored.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
School
I came into the classroom and was greeted by a big hug which made me very happy. Then with half the class missing they finished their presentations and I sat quietly listening. After lunch the rest of the class showed up and the room livened up. It was a nice change. The rest of the day was very boring. I finished my second to last book and the next one is shorter and I need it to last until my care package arrives. So I couldn't really read and didn't want my computer on all day, it's too hot. So I sat back and got very bored. I did manage to make plans with the new girl to go to her house when the class is taking exams on Thursday and Friday. She's going to teach me how to make Pad Thai and teach me Thai. I'm so glad I found her. She will save me from boredom, hopefully. Other than that I'm sweating just sitting typing this. It has been so hot the past couple of days I'm dying. I hope it cools off before aerobics, since it is outside. I know I will be sweating no matter what, but it would be nice if the sun wasn't blaring down on me. I can't wait to get some exercise and I hope it will help wear me out so I can sleep. I've been getting up super early and last night I woke up at midnight and could not sleep. I hope this plan works.
Until Tomorrow, Dacotah Smith
Until Tomorrow, Dacotah Smith
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Uneventful Day
Today I came back to reality. The reality of being bored. I realized very fast how much I need this new girl to hopefully take me under her wing on the weekends. It was and still is very hot, like in the low 90's all day with major humidity and no air conditioning. So besides sweating all day, when doing absolutly nothing, I read, studied Thai and watched another movie. I went into town for lunch and dinner. I am getting bored so easily and I know that I didn't come to Thailand to sit and read all day, but my host family is working so I have nothing else to do. I am hoping that I can work something out fast with this lady so that she can take me places and keep me busy on the weekends. I will start the aerobics class tommorow after school, which will make me feel much better. Anytime I exercise I feel so much better. I can't wait. First I have to sit through an uneventful day at school but I have learned how to make it tolerable. I only have to go to school until Thursday. They start end of term testing on Thursday and Friday and said I could come but they will be testing all day. So I don't have to go...the only thing is I don't know what I'm going to do at home. I will try to set something up to maybe hang with KruLiw my new best friend and potential host mother. If she has to work than I don't know what I will do. Anyways I'm hoping for the best and can't wait to continue my year of discovery.
Until Later, Dacotah
Until Later, Dacotah
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Saturday!
So today I went out to explore this trail that my host parents drive pm to get to the back of the lot to worship some statues that they have back there. I thought perhaps it would be a good running trail, so I started walking. I walked for about five minutes and then the trail started getting pretty overgrown and I was a little leery to keep walking but I really wanted a picture to show the extent of the Buddhism religion. Anyways I got about five feet into it and I saw three snakes and turned around and ran back to the safety of the house. Have I mentioned I hateeee snakes!
Other than that today was awesomeeeeeeeeee! My friends picked me up and took me on my first motorcycle ride...ever, it was so much fun. Instead of going to the local grocery store we went to a house on the schools grounds. It turns out it is the house of the school directors daughter in-law. She is 30 years old and studied in Australia for a year a while back and wanted to meet me so she could brush up on her English. Turns out she made me American style spaghetti which would have been great but the noodles weren't completely done. I ate it all anyways. Then we talked about my family and everything, she kind of became my counselor. I told her how I have yet to exercise since I've been here etc. She told me her husband is living in Bangkok getting his PH.D. and this is her second week all alone. She said she gets lonely and also said she had an empty bedroom and bathroom. Her house is right next to the handball fields and she said after hours we could use the pool or play tennis etc. She said she could talk to her father in-law who is the school's director, my counsler and vice president of Chiang Kham Rotary Club, and ask if I could switch to live with her. The more I think about it I don't know if I want to switch, my family has given up a lot for me and it would be to hard to switch. However I'm hoping we can work something out where I maybe stay with her on the weekends when my host family is busy working and she can take me places and we can exercise. She said she would take me places and show me how to cook Thai meals and help me with the language!!!! I have to believe she was sent from God! My host mother took me to the grocery store after I got back home and outside the store is an aerobics class for adults. I guess it's every night from 5:30-7:30. I explained to my host mother that I'm going to go crazy if I don't get some exercise soon. So she thought that maybe I could take the aerobics class everyday after school and when she comes to pick up the manager's child from school at 6:30 she can pick me up. If this works out or even if I could stay with Kruliew and get some exercise with her until then, my adventure would get even better! I'm so happy and excited, can't wait for a new week to start.
Other than that today was awesomeeeeeeeeee! My friends picked me up and took me on my first motorcycle ride...ever, it was so much fun. Instead of going to the local grocery store we went to a house on the schools grounds. It turns out it is the house of the school directors daughter in-law. She is 30 years old and studied in Australia for a year a while back and wanted to meet me so she could brush up on her English. Turns out she made me American style spaghetti which would have been great but the noodles weren't completely done. I ate it all anyways. Then we talked about my family and everything, she kind of became my counselor. I told her how I have yet to exercise since I've been here etc. She told me her husband is living in Bangkok getting his PH.D. and this is her second week all alone. She said she gets lonely and also said she had an empty bedroom and bathroom. Her house is right next to the handball fields and she said after hours we could use the pool or play tennis etc. She said she could talk to her father in-law who is the school's director, my counsler and vice president of Chiang Kham Rotary Club, and ask if I could switch to live with her. The more I think about it I don't know if I want to switch, my family has given up a lot for me and it would be to hard to switch. However I'm hoping we can work something out where I maybe stay with her on the weekends when my host family is busy working and she can take me places and we can exercise. She said she would take me places and show me how to cook Thai meals and help me with the language!!!! I have to believe she was sent from God! My host mother took me to the grocery store after I got back home and outside the store is an aerobics class for adults. I guess it's every night from 5:30-7:30. I explained to my host mother that I'm going to go crazy if I don't get some exercise soon. So she thought that maybe I could take the aerobics class everyday after school and when she comes to pick up the manager's child from school at 6:30 she can pick me up. If this works out or even if I could stay with Kruliew and get some exercise with her until then, my adventure would get even better! I'm so happy and excited, can't wait for a new week to start.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Uneventful Day
Last night my host mother was out and I was done with dinner and done reading so I headed back to my room to shower so that my hair would be somewhat dry before I slept on it. I turned on the light in the guest house so I could call my mom at home and her husband thought I might be lonely so when she got home they came and chatted with me. I thought that was really thoughtful and cute. It made my night.
I guess my host mother forgot to take me to the doctor yesterday so were going today after school. She's keeps asking if I'm scared of the doctor and I keep saying no, I just don't have insurance yet and don't want you to have to pay for it if I know it's nothing serious. It's been a very interesting battle with her.So finally after school I went and boy is it different from a clinic in the United States. It was dirty and the office was simply closed off by a curtain and when your done they give you the medication in a little plastic bag. No need to go to the pharmacy. They gave me an antibiotic, vitamin c and throat lozenges all for a common cold.
Things I've noticed:
-To Thais loosing face is a big no no yet they honk at everything and everyone.
- KFC takes longer than a sit down restaurant.
-There is only one star and the moon in the sky, I can't see a sky of stars which I miss.
-My little host sister can speak more English than she lets on. Today when we dropped her off to stay with her aunt as she does every Friday night she said bye bye pfah see you tomorrow!
-You say P before a sisters name and Na before a parents name. For example my sister calls me Pfah and I call my host parents NaHing and NaChin.
I can't wait to hang with my friends from school tomorrow and actually have fun and speak some Thai with them. I will take lots of picture and hopefully during school on Monday I can post them.
Toodles, Dacotah Smith
I guess my host mother forgot to take me to the doctor yesterday so were going today after school. She's keeps asking if I'm scared of the doctor and I keep saying no, I just don't have insurance yet and don't want you to have to pay for it if I know it's nothing serious. It's been a very interesting battle with her.So finally after school I went and boy is it different from a clinic in the United States. It was dirty and the office was simply closed off by a curtain and when your done they give you the medication in a little plastic bag. No need to go to the pharmacy. They gave me an antibiotic, vitamin c and throat lozenges all for a common cold.
Things I've noticed:
-To Thais loosing face is a big no no yet they honk at everything and everyone.
- KFC takes longer than a sit down restaurant.
-There is only one star and the moon in the sky, I can't see a sky of stars which I miss.
-My little host sister can speak more English than she lets on. Today when we dropped her off to stay with her aunt as she does every Friday night she said bye bye pfah see you tomorrow!
-You say P before a sisters name and Na before a parents name. For example my sister calls me Pfah and I call my host parents NaHing and NaChin.
I can't wait to hang with my friends from school tomorrow and actually have fun and speak some Thai with them. I will take lots of picture and hopefully during school on Monday I can post them.
Toodles, Dacotah Smith
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Random Pictures
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| My bathroom |
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| My bathroom |
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| My shower without a curtain |
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| The school courtyard |
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| The Classroom |
Fun and Exhausting Day
Well as I said earlier I have a tiny cold, but to my surprise my host mother didn't take me to the doctor like she said we should this morning. It's something I'll be over by the end of the weekend so it's not big deal. Anyways after school I got picked up by the driver as usual and taken to my second host mother's shop as usual and then we went and picked up my host mothers workers that were cleaning the house that she just recently sold. Something you would never do in the U.S. But then the whole family doesn't live under the same roof after college in the U.S. either.
Today at school I talked to my friends a lot via writing it down. My voice was a little weird because of my throat and they can understand when I write it down, so I don't have to repeat it like 5 times. Then to my surprise we went outside and played basketball and handball, probably the highlight of my schooling. I shot the ball and all the boys were expecting me to be as non-athletic as all the other girls in my class, when it went swoosh they were all like wooooah. So I played with them and whooped the guys, something I've longed to do in the U.S. We then went to play handball in the fields and to my surprise there was sour tamarind tree right next to the field so we picked and ate some, deliciously sour. I then went back and we watched She's The Man on my laptop and I read. It was a great day and it was so much fun to get to shoot around, I don't think I've done it since I re injured my knee last winter. I can't wait for this weekend when some girls from my school are taking me to the local grocery store to show me the popular Thai music and to sing some karaoke. The one girl who invited me to her house said that she will have her mom cook anything that I want, I thought the gesture was so cute and kind. On Sunday I guess I'm going to meet with a famous tutor from Chiang Mai that's coming to Chiang Kham and I guess she speaks really good English, my friends suggested I talk with her. It should be a great weekend!
Here's to a Great Day!
Today at school I talked to my friends a lot via writing it down. My voice was a little weird because of my throat and they can understand when I write it down, so I don't have to repeat it like 5 times. Then to my surprise we went outside and played basketball and handball, probably the highlight of my schooling. I shot the ball and all the boys were expecting me to be as non-athletic as all the other girls in my class, when it went swoosh they were all like wooooah. So I played with them and whooped the guys, something I've longed to do in the U.S. We then went to play handball in the fields and to my surprise there was sour tamarind tree right next to the field so we picked and ate some, deliciously sour. I then went back and we watched She's The Man on my laptop and I read. It was a great day and it was so much fun to get to shoot around, I don't think I've done it since I re injured my knee last winter. I can't wait for this weekend when some girls from my school are taking me to the local grocery store to show me the popular Thai music and to sing some karaoke. The one girl who invited me to her house said that she will have her mom cook anything that I want, I thought the gesture was so cute and kind. On Sunday I guess I'm going to meet with a famous tutor from Chiang Mai that's coming to Chiang Kham and I guess she speaks really good English, my friends suggested I talk with her. It should be a great weekend!
Here's to a Great Day!
Third Host Family
Last night I visited my third house and found it to be very empty. It four floors and only the second one is used. The top floor has a room full of Buddha statues but other than that nothing, no furniture. They were all in the Buddha room and before they left they all got down on their hands and knee's and prayed and not to be rude I did it also but as they were mumbling a prayer I said dear God please forgive me for bowing to false idols. Sometimes it's hard to keep my religion separate from theirs.
I told my host mother I had a sore throat the other day and she took me to the pharmacy to get something for it. Yesterday she wanted to take me to the doctor and I kept saying no I'm fine my sore throat went away. Today I wake up and my nose is stuffy and my voice sounds like a man's, I guess were going to the doctor after all.
Right outside the Pharmacy is the Rodee stand and we had an order of them to get for all my host mother's workers. Turns out the lady who runs the stand decided to take a day off and wasn't there last night, it was tragic.
New Found Snacks:
-Flavored Seaweed Strips
-Seaweed Pringles
-Hershey's Chocolate!
-Almond and Crispy M&M's
I am finally starting to fit into the culture and it's customs, no longer an outsider looking in. Everyday is looking up and I can't wait to finish me year here!
Toodles, Dacotah Smith
I told my host mother I had a sore throat the other day and she took me to the pharmacy to get something for it. Yesterday she wanted to take me to the doctor and I kept saying no I'm fine my sore throat went away. Today I wake up and my nose is stuffy and my voice sounds like a man's, I guess were going to the doctor after all.
Right outside the Pharmacy is the Rodee stand and we had an order of them to get for all my host mother's workers. Turns out the lady who runs the stand decided to take a day off and wasn't there last night, it was tragic.
New Found Snacks:
-Flavored Seaweed Strips
-Seaweed Pringles
-Hershey's Chocolate!
-Almond and Crispy M&M's
I am finally starting to fit into the culture and it's customs, no longer an outsider looking in. Everyday is looking up and I can't wait to finish me year here!
Toodles, Dacotah Smith
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Rotary Meetings
Last night I went to my second Rotary Meeting. We left the house at about 7:30 and got there and ate dinner. Then the meeting started. My host mother and second host mother are the only women in the club and the rest of the club consists of men over the age of fifty. They are all really nice and like to joke a lot. However it's all in Thai so every once in a while my host mother fills me in. After that we stopped at 7-11 and I got myself some snacks. Outside the Rodee stand was still set up so I got a Rodee too. A great way to end a night, but when I got home and showered not only had the shower awakened me but the sugar kept me up pretty late. The food at the Rotary Meeting was very spicy, to the point of me in tears and needless to say it gave me heart burn all night and all morning. I'm finally getting used to the school day. I got my itinerary for the trip next month and it looks amazing. We get to go rafting, where you stand on a bamboo raft and steer with a long bamboo stick. I can't wait!!! We also get to go on a dinner cruise!!! The boys in my class are much nicer here, and more mature than the girls which is new to me. They are all such gentlemen which is a nice change. A girl from class invited me to her house and said she would take me some places this weekend. I'm starting to finally get the hang of things!
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Meals
Another majorly different thing here. For starters they normally eat every meal out and rarely cook themselves, if you could see the kitchen you wouldn't want to cook either. So They order a big dinner and everyone gets a plate of rice and you take what you want off the main dishes and eat it with your rice. The leftovers are then kept on the table sometimes covered but mainly not where they get cold and then are served for breakfast and lunch the next day. I have trouble just getting myself to eat breakfast of toast or cereal in the U.S. I'm just not hungry when I wake up. Here that is the least of my problems I am served cold meat and fish from the night before to eat for breakfast. Sometimes I get to make toast with the pineapple jam we bought! But mainly it's cold leftovers from the night before. My host mother did buy a pancake mix and sometimes the maid attempts but when it comes to me it looks like it stuck to the pan and was just scraped into a ball and put onto my plate. It taste's fine but doesn't get fully cooked and the maid sits there and watches me eat it, this gets very annoying. Saturday morning I woke up and the maid had cut a carrot up for me, this was to be my breakfast and I forced it down and then at 10 she served the leftovers and then at noon she made fried rice and then a snack before dinner. All of this she insisted on watching me eat even though I tried to express to her that I wasn't hungry at all. She still doesn't get it and to be honest her presence always makes me a little worried. So I gave my host mother some hostess gifts including a bag of wild rice soup mix. She said OOO I will make it tomorrow and I was excited well I wake up and she has a bowl of it sitting on the table. I just laughed and explained to her that we normally have toast or cereal or eggs for breakfast and soup, salad or sandwich for lunch and meat or fish or Minnesota casserole for dinner. We had a good laugh and I attempted to eat it for breakfast. I'm slowly but surely adjusting!
The concept of Face
One thing I've learned since being here is that the Thai culture will do anything and everything to preserve face. This means they won't confront someone if they have a problem, instead this will just let it go on. They don't get mad or loose their temper, it's just absolutely unheard of. A complete change from the U.S. where the freedom of speech means we can get mad and express all of our feelings whenever and wherever we want. While one of the reasons I choose to do exchange was so that I'd grow and be forced to be more confrontational and unfortunately I don't think that will be happening here anytime soon. Just an interesting and different lifestyle.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
What a start to a day!
I started my school day in class with the first graders. We have to stand outside and sing the national anthem and I had to stand in a line with all the kids and they were pushing each other closer and then they'd run away laughing. This didn't make me feel exactly welcome. The teacher just taught me Thai vowels only speaking Thai and I got very frustrated because I didn't understand. She kept leaving just me and the kids with no teacher. At one point she was gone for 30 and two first graders were fighting like you'd expect a 20 yr old to. They threw each other into the walls and when the teacher came back she did nothing to stop it. This made me very appreciative of the U.S. and very heart broken for these little boys. I got so fed up with her just leaving and saying the same words that I didn't understand over and over again that I said OK time for me to go be with my friends in M-6 and I left. Don't worry I did it respectfully and will back in there tomorrow morning. It's a weird setting and I don't think I like it much. When I got back to my class there was not a teacher around and my friends, although they weren't fighting were crazy. I thought this week was going to be the best but judging on the first few hours it might be hard to keep my head high. Anyways not that I have anything else to do, I just have nothing else to write.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Great News!~
My cell phone has been found!! I also found myself adjusting better and faster than expected at first.
Last night when we went to dinner and we got our meal, I looked at it and couldn't help but wonder where the rice was. We eventually had to ask for some when the waiter came back. This was an abrupt and unexpected change, I get very sick of rice with every meal and to be expecting it was just a weird change. My host father went into town today and brought me back some ice cream which I found very kind and generous. He got it right before he left so it wouldn't melt on the way home and gave it to me to have after lunch. It was probably the nicest gesture he's made since I moved in here. Even though I didn't leave the house once today I managed not to stay to bored. I watched a movie on my laptop and read my book and listened to music and drew some awful looking pictures. I'm so excited to get my cell phone back just hoping I can find the charger! I also finished both of the tracing book that I was given when I entered the first grade class on Friday. I hurried and finished them so that hopefully they will teach me actual useful phrases that I might need to know. I can't wait to go to the first grade class in the morning and then return to my grade in the afternoon. It helps me from getting so bored.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Last night when we went to dinner and we got our meal, I looked at it and couldn't help but wonder where the rice was. We eventually had to ask for some when the waiter came back. This was an abrupt and unexpected change, I get very sick of rice with every meal and to be expecting it was just a weird change. My host father went into town today and brought me back some ice cream which I found very kind and generous. He got it right before he left so it wouldn't melt on the way home and gave it to me to have after lunch. It was probably the nicest gesture he's made since I moved in here. Even though I didn't leave the house once today I managed not to stay to bored. I watched a movie on my laptop and read my book and listened to music and drew some awful looking pictures. I'm so excited to get my cell phone back just hoping I can find the charger! I also finished both of the tracing book that I was given when I entered the first grade class on Friday. I hurried and finished them so that hopefully they will teach me actual useful phrases that I might need to know. I can't wait to go to the first grade class in the morning and then return to my grade in the afternoon. It helps me from getting so bored.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Good News and Bad News
I'll start with the good new, it stopped raining. For the bad news well it got really hot again! Hopefully I'll be able to not sweat too much today. It's only a quarter past nine and I'm already getting toasty. My host mother bought me my new favorite juice. It's kiwi grape and it is absolutely delicious. So when ever I'm feeling down I go take a sip and I feel so much better. Sad but you have to look for something to cheer you up at time. I fell asleep last night watching Invincible on my laptop...great movie. For anyone who has never seen it, Amelia a story about Amelia Earhart is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Also don't watch Marley and Me if your feeling the least bit down, I did so mistakenly and balled my eyes out. Anyways looks like today is another day of doing nothing and trying to keep myself busy.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Rainy Week
So it's been raining on and off for about a week now. Last night I probably witnessed the biggest storm I have ever seen. The lightning and thunder was unlike anything I'd ever heard, I got out of bed and watched from the window. It rained so hard that in the morning my ceiling had wet patches, where it was about to leak. Luckily it stopped raining and the sun came out. We went into town for dinner and found a good chunk of the road was completely flooded like knee high. It was unlike anything I've ever seen and I was so bummed that I forgot a camera. If it rains again tonight the whole town will be flooded in the morning. Peoples house's were destroyed, it was sad to see what mother nature can do. So for dinner we stopped at this little hut and I had stir-fried chicken with cashew's and onions which was delicious. One thing I found rather amusing about the place was that there were three transvestites sitting right next to us. Another site you would rarely see in the U.S. I have found that Thais are very open and accepting about Lesbians and Gays. For example on my first day of school I was into class and the first thing I hear is three guys and a girl introducing themselves and two say I'm gay, one says I'm bisexual and the girl says I'm a lesbian. All of which you would never hear upon a first day introduction in a high school in the U.S. I'm finally getting used to the culture and way of life, very slow paced. Today my host mother worked all day so I just sat and watched a movie and started and finished a Thai Alphabet Book. I am hoping that once I get this done the teacher will actually teach me useful phrases.
Until Then, Dacotah Smith
Until Then, Dacotah Smith
Friday, September 10, 2010
Minor Details
I just got off the phone with my parents which was so nice. I haven't talked to them for about two weeks. I'm also awaiting a care package from my grandparents and family friends, this has made me so excited. I'm also counting down the days of school I have until semester break which is only about 8 days! I found out that for this RYLA camp where all the inbounds will be there will also be kids from the rotary club that were sponsored by attending as well. There are three others joining me and they are all a grade younger but hopefully we can have fun on the 8 hr trip to the camp. I'm also sad to admit but I think I've gained some weight, I don't love the food at school or the food my host family serves so I eat a little and then I snack on fruit and chips. They do have Lay's Extra Barbecue chips, which are my favorite and surprisingly sold right next to the Lay's Spicy Squid and Spicy Prawn chips. Needless to say I always go for the Extra Barbecue or the Seaweed one's, they aren't to terrible. My host mother took me to the grocery store yesterday, a much needed run and we picked up some buttermilk pancake mix, as well as some fruit and kiwi grape juice and chips and bread and pineapple jam! We also bought some chicken breasts so we can add it to the Creamy Wild Rice Soup I gave her as a gift, and that she is so excited to make. It was a great food run and surprisingly is lifted my spirits. Well the maid just made my breakfast and yelled Fah and then came and acted as if she was eating something to motion that it's time to eat. This is how we communicate! So I better go eat breakfast while it's hot.
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thai Lessons
We went and talked to the directors wife today and she suggested that I spend all day every day with the 1st graders. I said no because I wouldn't make any Thai friends which I desperately need to do. So we worked it out and starting this morning I will study Thai with the 1st graders and then head back to my classroom. At first it was kind of embarrassing and right now I'm just tracing letters. But hopefully I can learn quick. My host mother took care of the snakes by putting a sulfur powder outside the doors. I'm so excited I found out my third host family lives next to two Internet cafes so I will be able to Skye. My friend also gave me the name of a site to download free Thai lessons with pronunciation and everything! So I'm downloading it right now and I can't wait! Don't have much time so this is it.
Toodles, Dacotah Smith
Toodles, Dacotah Smith
In school once again!
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Misc Photos
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| A monk sitting like Buddha for eight hours a day! |
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| Thailands Tallest Hot Springs |
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| The famous temple in Pitsanuloke |
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| Cambodian Architecture by the Hot Springs |
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| Gorgeous Buddha |
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| The Temple once again |
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| The Buddha by our breakfast stop! |
Holy Hotness!
Just sitting in the classroom today with three fans going I was sweating the whole day. I got home and went straight to my room and turned on the air conditioning. Only to find a huge snake outside my door. It freaked me out so much and I turned and went back to other way. I came back about an hour later to find it gone and finally got to go into my room. Now that I know there are snakes and lizards I'm getting a little leery of living in the jungle. School went a lot better though. The kids actually talked to me and we had some fun bonding time. Tomorrow I'm going to do this art thing and maybe I can take a pic and post it. I walked outside of my room after cooling off and I swear it has cooled down like 10 degrees. This is a nice change however why when I'm going to bed not when I'm at school? OO well. I did get to talk to my family on facebook at school. I haven't been able to contact them since I lost my phone. Overall my spirits are high and I'm just trying my best to keep from crashing. Things are only as hard as I make them is what I keep telling myself. All in all only three more weeks of school until semester break. I can make it through!
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday..A Day of Adventure
Until Later, Dacotah Smith
Night Safari
On Sunday night I got picked up from orientation and I went on a night safari with my host mother and my host cousins. It was really fun however I was super tired from about 4 nights of not getting to bed before 1 am. I got to see some baby Bengal tigers. I could have gone inside the cage with them but that cost money and it was too late by the time we found out we could. We saw a water show which was surprisingly to the music from our Soundwaves Marching Band Show which gave me goose bumps. It was sooo cool. We then went on the safari where we had a wild giraffe come to the cart thinking we had food and I got to pet it along with a wild baby zebra that came up to me. It was so cool and I tried to take pictures but we couldn't use a flash and without a flash in the dark you can't really see them. We got home at about 11 and went to bed it was another great night.
Orientation
Chiang Mai Night Market
So I have realized that I haven't written in a week and I have a ton to catch up on. Last Wednesday we drove down to Chiang Mai...about four hours and spent the night there before meeting up with other exchange students for a 5 hour drive to orientation. With nothing to do Wednesday night my host mother took me to a Pizza Hut where I tried to enjoy the grossest version of spaghetti I have ever eaten. I guess that is what you get when you try to order Italian from a Pizza Hut in Thailand. After that we walked the night market with tons of things to spend money on. I bought mainly gifts but a bracelet for me. I also found opium incense but decided not to buy it as I don't know if it could be considered a drug. After walking up and down and I was dripping sweat we stopped at a Hagen Dagz and I got a brownie sundae for about 9 dollars. It was crazy expensive but to get a cone with two scoops would be the same my host mother decided this was a major treat since it cost twice the price of our meal at Pizza Hut. All in all it was great... I would love to go back to the night market, but want to wait until I have more money.
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