Sunday of Thai Fun

Gutting the fish

The fish after dinner

Getting the fish out of the net

On Sunday I got invited to go fishing in a pond. So I got picked up by my latest friend Tai and her kids and maid and we were off. First we stopped to get fishing nets before heading to her daughters teachers house to fish. We spent about three house wading in the mud pit definitely not a pond and we caught about a hundred little fish and 2 bigger fish. I got a few splinters in my feet from stuff in the mud but it was a fun experience. We proceeded to clean them and gut them before heading home to cook them for dinner. The teacher came over and one of her workers to cook it. We ate the bigger fish in a spicy soup and the small ones we battered and fried. We then ate the entire little fish, skeleton, head and everything. They call it "Crying Cat" because at the end there is no fish for the the cat to eat. The first time I ordered it from a restaurant I was really scared I was going to be served a cat. It was a delicious meal that didn't cost a thing just some hard work and it was fun to be included in this. I had a great weekend.

Little 5 yr old Zach fishing in his underwear

The fish before dinner

The mud pit with my friend and her daughter Nadia

More Pictures

The rice fields right next to the wedding

Fireworks

Once the wedding started

Saturday of Weddings!

The tom yum (spicy soup that I've grown to love) served at the wedding

The Family

I woke up on Saturday and instead of going to teach I went to an informal wedding. With my host parents dressed in jeans and me in a skirt and shirt we were on our way to a wedding at 10:30 am. It was very informal and was basically a reception, no ceremony was done. We ate lunch there with the whole family and my host dad and uncle drank a bottle of whiskey before we headed home for a short break. During the short break I got my package from the Rinke's and since there were little kids from my moms class on Saturdays I shared some of the toys and played with them.

The family at the wedding



Then after about a four hour break we were on our way to the second wedding. This wedding was much larger and fancier. My host mom put on her best Thai silk clothes and we were off. We went to pick up family along the way and after we picked them up we went a resort in town and I was amazed. This wedding was on a much bigger scale. They even had fireworks and a 9 course meal, for over 100 guests. It was really cool to see the difference and I had so much fun, playing with a little kid also named Fah. Glad I was feeling good enough to go!

The flowers



All the tables



My host mom and I

Monday-Great way to start the week!

Yesterday I went to the office with Tai and then we all piled in her pick-up and drove 30 mins away and bought 10  lbs of fish and then headed to a village. We arrived at a ladies house and immediately started cooking the fish. We made an amazing spicy sauce and had it with steamed fish, we also had fish in a spicy soup and lots of other dishes. We ate and talked and laughed. I had to ask everyone of the ladies a question in Thai and then they had to ask me one in Thai so I got to know them better and they got to get to know me better. It was fun and we ate fish for about 5 hrs, some ladies went to the market and bought 10 more lbs of fish for a total of 20 lbs of fish that we ate in 1 day. I went home full and very happy. Then I went and got Rodee with my host mom and we sat at home and ate it and talked and laughed. I went and took and a shower and then headed to bed. Today I am hanging out at the office catching up on my stuff from over the weekend and then starting my scarf in the colors I want. Then teaching with Joe getting picked up and then going to Tai's house and teaching her daughter and then eating dinner and having a Thai lesson before heading home. All is good!

Caring People

The newest Expat I met a few weeks ago has gone out of his way to make sure I'm comfortable. Now he's in New York for the next three weeks so his wife has taken me in. She lets me hang out with her at her office and use her wi-fi. Buys me lunch, invites me to dinner at her house etc. Such a nice lady. One of the very shy ladies in her office asked her if I like to travel, she wants to take me somewhere but is just to shy to talk to me in person, still a very caring gesture. The ladies that knit the stuff for the company are teaching me how to knit. I'm about 5 inches into my first scarf, we'll see how it turns out. The lady that's teaching me wants me to bring a picture of her back to the US and find her a husband ha ha. Today I went to the morning market and bought two kilos of oranges a crepe and some other Thai breakfast items for less than 3 US dollars. It still amazes me how cheap everything is. So today I will just be talking to my friends, reading my book, and then going to teach. I think for dinner tonight my host mom is going to take me to eat fresh grilled shrimp. Sounds delicious I'm not going to turn it down. Everything is going great, no need for anyone to worry.

Until Later, Dacotah Smith

Phu Chi Fah Weekend

Phu Sang Waterfall near Chiang Kham

The whole crew at the border of Thailand and Laos, the road leads to Malaysia and China as well.

Border of Thailand and Laos

The ledge we stood on in the complete darkness, could have been very dangerous!

Hilltribe Kids

Freezing at the top of the mountain

New Years in Lampang

Clock Tower

New Years, we set out a balloon with our resolutions written on it!

Belated Phu Chi Fah Weekend

So this weekend I went to the Mountain called Phu Chi Fah. In translation it means mountain that touches the sky. I met my group of friends in Phayao about an hour from Chiang Kham. I met them on the side of the road at 8 am and then I climbed in the van and we were off. We first went to Doi Tung, to the a university arboretum.

The beautiful landscape


We ate lunch at the restaurant outside the arboretum and then we were off to Mai Sai. The city that hosts the border of Burma and Thailand. Everyone else that came with crossed the border but my two friends from Lampang and I weren't allowed to so they said see you in two hours have fun. Of course we went shopping, I got lots of gifts to bring back and two 100% sterling silver rings for myself. After this we drove about three hours up to Phu Chi Fah. We ended up in a house which had no hot water, so I took a cold shower on top of a very cold mountain. Then we made dinner on the floor and went to bed. My friends and I got up at 4 am to get dressed in our warmest clothes and got in the back of a pick-up for 15 kilometers up to the drop off point. After that we walked about three miles up a mountain, in sandals and in the complete dark. It was quite a challenge. Once we got up there we waited for about 2 hours to see the sunrise and finally it rose but we never saw the sun it was too foggy so we hiked back down and went back to the house to pack up. We left the mountain and drove to the border of Thailand and Laos it also leads to Malaysia and China. Then we stopped at the waterfall near my city and then they took me home and dropped me off. After I got home I went and took a long nap, I'd been up since 4 am and then I just hung out for the rest of the night. On Monday I went to Tai my new American friends wife's house. My host mom left for school without me so I had nothing to do. I hung out at her office and have done this everyday since. I also got a job teaching her daughter how to read English three nights a week. She picks me up after I teach at Joe's and then takes me to her house for dinner and hour of teaching her daughter Nadia and then I get about a half an hour to an hour of Thai lessons from her. Our arrangement has worked out perfectly and she is so nice. That's whats new in my world.

Until Later, Dacotah Smith

My day of Translation

So on Monday I sat through class thinking wow, I can't take anymore of this boredom. How am I going to get out of going to school all week. Well it turns out my efforts weren't needed. The class is going on a camping trip and doing something with the younger kids. They all payed for the trip while I was gone so I can't go anyways. I don't have to school for the rest of the week now. So after teaching on Monday I told the lady that took me home that I didn't have school and she invited me to come and be a translator for the next day. So of course I took the opportunity and went. I got picked up at 7 am and then we drove the hour to Phayao where we picked the two ladies up from there tour. They have been sponsoring a kid in a town called Chun to go to school and for clothes as well. They have come to meet him finally. So we took them the hours drive to the school where the little boy goes. We met him, talked to him and they gave him a gift and then took him out for lunch. We then dropped him back off at school and went up to the Golden Triangle a 4 hour drive for them to meet back up with their tour. After that we had about a 3 hour drive home and I ate at Nui's house and then went home. It was a fun day but lots of driving. I came home and crashed into bed. So now I have the rest of the week off from school and I'm going over to learn some Thai cooking from Nui later this week and just teaching everyday. Not a super busy week. Friday night I'm hoping to maybe go out to dinner with a friend and then Saturday I'm going the the Mtn.

Until Later, Dacotah Smith

Pictures from my Day of Translation

The Meekong river separating three countries

The casino in Burma (it's illegal to gamble in Thailand)

Map of the Golden Triangle

Looking out at Burma and Laos

The ladies we were translating for getting a Thai welcome

Nui teaches at the school with me

Saiphone and I (she teaches english with me)

The only lake in Northern Thailand

My weekend

At 8 am  on Saturday we went to the temple to help set up for Children's Day after about two hours I had enough of it so I walked to the English school and started my teaching. I was there until 1 and then my new friends came to my house and picked me up. I went to the neighboring city and bought fresh shrimp and then we went back to there house. I got to see the house and meet them. An interesting thing is that his wife went to Italy with AFS about 20 years ago and was sponsored by Kodak because her family was so poor they didn't even have a bathroom in there house. He also lived in Brazil and is only one year older than my dad. He thinks he may have played my dad in sports in Brazil. It's crazy how small the world really is. Then an English teacher from my school came with his wife and baby and we were off to the party. It was mainly french men. It  was out in the hill tribe but it was so much fun. Good food and conversation, we stayed really late. On Sunday I slept in and just hung around the house and then at about 5 they came and picked me up again and I went to their house for steamed broccoli, french fries and good old American steaks. He goes to New York this week to sell he product at a trade show. He owns a company that hand knits hats and children's clothes and all kinds of things and then sells them in the US. He will get back on February 5th and on the 6th all of us from the party are going to his house for some fresh bagels and locks and parma ham all from New York. I can't wait. His wife also said she'll give me a call when he's gone and we can go do something. I can't wait for what the rest of the year has to bring.

Until Later, Dacotah Smith

Lampang

Outside an old abandoned hotel

Naiyana's Party

Childrens Day

Thai Dancing

Childrens Day at the Temple

The stage

Some people couldn't stay awake

Getting ready