100% Deet is My Best Friend

The battle with the bugs continues and I am currently destroying them as I type this. My multi-tasking skills are pretty top-notch. My room is covered in 100% deet, so they better JUMP BACK. 

This past week was spent really getting to know Suphanburi and all that it has to offer. We were able to show off The Soup to some friends who came in from Bangkok this past weekend, but we benefited just as much from the tour, since it was our first weekend actually spent in our new hometown. We spent some time roaming the streets, looking at the local sites, hitting up the local bars (where we discovered some amazing live bands), and heading over to the 100 Year Old Market in Samchuk. At the market, we randomly and luckily had a pseudo tour guide. Baer (sp?), a girl we had met the night prior, happened to be at the market and provided us with a really unique experience despite her lack of English. She kept handing us free food, including the Suphan Sali cake that I've been eager to try (YUM) and some spicy fish pot. She also kind of pushed us onto a random riverboat that brought us down to an extremely old house. There was live music on the boat just for us, and the house was incredible. 

 

 

After ordering our dinner for us, Baer drove all 7 of us home...in her pick-up truck. It was awesome! My hair never looked so beautiful. I looked verrrry Motley Crue afterwards. I was completely blown away with her generosity throughout the entire day. We hadn't even known her 24 hours and she was so willing to show us around. Man, are Thai people nice. 


So last week, the EP staff was told that we would be attending the Suphanburi Opening Games the coming Tuesday. It really meant nothing to me because I had no clue what they were. Even after a Google search, nothing came up (along with anything else related to Suphan). Ooook. Tuesday comes around and I still have no idea what to expect. Even if I had been told, I still would have been blown away. I can only describe the Opening Games as the Olympics Opening Ceremony meets the Fourth of July meets a Justin Bieber concert meets the Fisherman's Feast in the North End. There were performances by the three biggest Thai popstars, the ex-Prime Minister sat in the section next to us, all of the schools of Suphanburi put on an amazingly beautiful performance (I got a little emotional), there was a GIANT parade and a fireworks spectacular. So spectacular in fact, that Sarah was set on fire and has a hole in her skirt. I wish I could explain the night, but we'll leave it at that. It was a great night and I was very lucky to have been part of it. 

This week marks the one month anniversary of being in Thailand and I cannot believe how far I've come along since Day One. I've made new friends, settled into a new home, completely changed my diet and I'm officially a high school teacher. Crazy! I thought to celebrate the big marker, I'd make a list...because, really, who doesn't love a good list?


Things I LOVE:
- The food (street vendors galore, pineapple dipped in sugar and chili flakes, coconut ice cream, Thai Iced coffee). 
-the people. Thai people are just the nicest, friendliest bunch and I heart them.
-traveling ( I get to meet awesome people and see incredible sights. No complaints here)
-the kids! (I'm totally loving my students)
-baht (I'm over the dollar)
-having conversations where I speak English and the other speaks Thai but somehow it works
-the Mai Pen Rai attitude
-markets everywhere you go


Things I'm Adjusting To:
-lack of resources at school
-Mopeds. Still 96% sure I will get hit by one
-The bed. It is as hard as a rock, but I have to admit- I have yet to wake up with a sore back. And I have a very picky back.
-The Bugs. I've welcomed the ants, but now these dang gnats are everywhere. 
-karaoke
-being barefoot ALL OF THE TIME.
-K-Pop and Thai Pop. 


Things I Miss (besides people...don't worry, Mom-  I miss you):
-Hot showers. I don't like dreading showers.
-No option of working out (I am by no means a fit person but it was nice to have the option to go to a gym, go running or take a dance class). No where to be seen here. 
-American snacks. Not the meals...just the cheese snacks and obscene amount of chocolate I liked to eat on a daily basis.
-Baking. It was once my addiction. I have yet to see a brownie here. 
-Clean dogs. The stray dogs are just really heartbreaking/disturbing/gross. 


I am absolutely in love with being here and I could seriously make a list 10 pages long of the things I enjoy, but that'd just be obnoxious. Month 1 has gone really well and I can't even imagine what sort of adventure is in store for me in the next 11 months.