Random Events of the Week

Alright, no specific topic for this post, just random events of the week.

Monday was a good day. I added some more classes (though I don’t know why since last week was the last week of the semester and everything changes when we get back). I had baking which I was excited about, but no one speaks English so it was a little challenging especially since I can’t hear the bell in the Kitchen and I didn’t know when the next period was supposed to start (I had English 4th period but they bake from 1st-4th so they weren’t going to be leaving). I managed to make it to class just after the bell rang. I had to take the exam (I don’t know why since it doesn’t count), it was easy since it was English and so I finished in 10 minutes while the others took the whole period. I basically sat and read and waited for class to end, running on small errands for the teacher (Paul) a few times but not really doing much else. I wanted to try Chinese, so Lucas and I went to 6th period Chinese (1st level). The kids just started to learn Chinese in June and they already can understand what the teacher says and they can read most of it and it’s all in Chinese!!! I don’t know how they do it, but they said that I would take private lessons to catch myself up! After school my host mom came and had to talk to Mike's teachers about his poor grades, she cried the whole time, so I felt that it I should probably tell her about the fact that he was failing a class (I overheard him being told on Friday while we were waiting for her to pick us up), I really felt bad about telling her, but I figured it was important so I did. It was not the happiest nights and I spent the night reading while the others studied. For dinner we had Octopus, which wasn't horrible, but I could go the rest of my life with never eating it again!

Tuesday was another day like Monday where nothing exciting happened. There was an exam in my English class so Lucas and I sat in the back room and read and played scrabble (which didn’t go so well since I know so much more than him, but it was a good time waster). I was supposed to go to Thai dancing, but I couldn’t because I only had one shoe. In Thailand when you enter a building you have to remove your shoes and leave them at the door. I have always been a little nervous that someone was going to run away with my shoes even though they had my name on them. Well, I was pretty certain it was an accident since only one shoe was missing and that it would show up eventually (which it did), but until it did I couldn’t go anywhere so I was pretty much stuck in the English lab and couldn’t go to dance, which was a little upsetting. We had some really good garlic pork for dinner. After dinner the others did homework again and so I spent the night reading.

Wednesday I was supposed to have cooking but that didn't happen because they were wrapping classes up because of the end of the semester. I didn’t have Thai either because Gayoon was gone, so I sat all day in the English Lab doing nothing! After school I thought my shoes were gone again, but someone had just put them on the other side of the hall. For dinner we went out to eat, which is very different than home. All of the restaurants are outside and you can only order from a small selection of things! My host mom bought me two bowls of noodles without me knowing, I ate them both to make her happy, but when she tried to get me another I told her no!

Thursday I had no classes. After school we went to the store and I bought a translator, but I still can’t figure out how it works. When I type in a word it just gives me the English definition and not the Thai translation, and the manual is not divided into parts and labeled so I have to read the whole thing to find what I’m looking for. At least my host sister put it in English so I know what everything is.

Friday I had English and got my exam back (I got one wrong, but it truly should have been right so whatever). After we got our exams back we divided into groups and started to work on the plays we have to perform for second semester. I am the narrator, the only speaking part, which I shouldn’t be but it’s the only thing I can do since I don’t really have the resources to bring anything in or to do much else. I didn’t have Thai because the teacher is in charge of preparing exams and so she had to do that. I talked with Flannery (a girl from Indonesia) for a long time about so much stuff! I think I will post parts of what we talked about later!

Saturday I read most of the day, but we ate a traditional Thai breakfast which was really good, and traditional lunch (which was gross and they kept giving me more), and for dinner we had a Japanese thing which was really good (it was breaded vegetables and shrimp, I can’t remember what it’s called).

Sunday was hot, but it really wasn’t as bad as it has been in the past. I talked with my host mom for a while and played checkers with her and watched some TV, but mostly I read! I didn’t like last night’s dinner at all, so I didn’t eat much, but I ate some. I went to bed early and woke up this morning at 6 even though my alarm wasn’t set until 6:15 (it seems that I wake up at the same time every day! Thanks dad, I get that from you!)

This week is the last week of school for a month! I won’t be writing to you guys from the 2nd to the 19th, so if you want me you should catch me before that! I also posted my address on the side for those who are interested in writing me letters, I love to get mail and will write you back as soon as I get the chance!

Cultural Note: The Thai King is in the hospital after serious fever and fatigue! He is the oldest monarch, out doing the Queen of England by one year!