Sunday November 1st, 2009

Wow it’s weird to type November into the date, it seems like 2009 just started and it’s already only two months from being 2010, this year has gone by soooo fast! Anyway, that has nothing to do with my blog, it’s just a random thought of mine (I seem to have a lot of those today, like right now I’m wondering where my pony went it was right next to me earlier today).

I guess I will start with the festival from last night. It was nothing like I was expecting, not that I knew what to expect but still. It was basically some stands like at the markets, selling clothes and shoes and jewelry and then a whole bunch of tents with food like at the birthday party I went to for the police guy, except this time I had to pay. I got a strawberry smoothie, but it was really bitter and salty so I stopped drinking it after ¼ (it was only like $.10 so it wasn’t a big deal). My host family bought a whole bunch of food, Thai love to eat! They bought some mini crabs, some squid thing, some salad (I didn’t like the dressing on it), some shell thing (it was really chewy so I didn’t eat too many), and some noodles. There was a concert, some famous Thai singer (I didn’t know them so you definitely wouldn’t!) and a whole bunch of screaming, drunk people. The ocean was a lit up so that was really pretty, but I couldn’t understand the concert and no one was talking so I was kind of bored and got really sleepy really fast. We returned home around 11:30 so by the time I showered, did devotion, and a little stretching I was so out of it I fell asleep before I could do any Thai flashcards.

I really wish I had my hair tie, my neck is so sweaty it’s making my hair wet. I’m going to go get my back up quick. Ok back. In that short journey I saw what my family is up to. Here is what everyone is doing:
My host dad is getting dressed and preparing to head to the festival. Meow is doing homework and watching Celebrity Apprentice II (I totally got both of those words spelled wrong, thank goodness for Word or no one would be able to understand a thing I’m writing). My host mom is in her store. Mike is watching TV in the store and eating a half a watermelon (I mean he has a half of a watermelon in his hand and he is eating it with a spoon!). The helper is finishing put things away in the store and then she has to mop the floor before she heads out. The helper’s son is watching TV with Mike. I’m writing this blog and trying to block out all the random thoughts running through my head right now (like I could go for a bowl of Fruit Loops right now). I totally just decided to load my pics from the last day onto my USB so I can put them on my computer, don’t know why I decided to do that now, but whatever!

Alright I’m going to try and stay on topic enough to say what I did today. Today was a much more interesting day than yesterday. To start I woke up before 7 (probably because I left my windows open and so I could hear everything that was going on outside!). I got out of bed around 7:45 and decided to shower in hopes that there would be enough water to shave (I shave once a week because of lack of water, sometimes only once every two weeks). There was a slight amount of water and about ½ through it shut off! I was more than a little annoyed! I finished my shower and got dressed. I then went on the computer until about 9:45. My host mom told me around 9 that I should make some breakfast for myself. She left out the container of instant mush (I don’t really know what it is but it like oatmeal but mushier). I tried to make it but it didn’t turn out well, thank goodness my host mom came into the kitchen to make herself tea. She fixed it, but she added salt to it even though I told her not to. I had to add a lot of sugar to counter act the salt and to make the mush taste like anything. At 9:45 my host mom, Meow and I left. They asked me last night if I wanted to go to the store with them today and I said sure, knowing that it would be way better than sitting at home! On the way to the store we stopped at the temple. There was some big ceremony going on and there were tons of people. There was a huge selection of food, so we ate some breakfast after my host mom gave some money, and then talked with some people. I don’t know how my host mom is related to so many people, but we are always running into someone that Meow says is her aunt (I wonder if it’s a cultural thing). Before we left the temple we went and watched the ceremony that they have to do before they can give the offerings to the temple. They have to dance around the temple three times in a big procession, it was kind of cool.

After we left the temple we headed to Big C, which is kind of sort of like Walmart, to get the computer hooked up with Wireless access (even though we don’t have wireless). I bought some shampoos, conditioner, toothbrush, and nail-file (my nails seem to be getting weaker while I’m here and it’s bothering me). I need deodorant so I went to get some and they have this small, small, small collection of antiperspirant spray stuff and the cans looked travel size (they like mini things here). They didn’t have any deodorant and I’m like almost out, so now I’m doomed to stink for the rest of the year, yippee!! I thought I might have some luck my lotions then, I was wrong. The only lotion that I could find was whitening lotion and I don’t think I need to whiten my skin any more than it already is! My luck was not with me!

After Big C we went to Makro, which is kind of sort of like Sam’s Club. My host mom bought 2 ½ carts full of stuff for 8,294 baht (I don’t know that in dollars right this sec, sorry). By the time we finished the shopping it was almost 1 and I was ready for lunch. To my surprise lunch was a scheduled thing. My host mom had a lunch meeting with a company who wants her and the other pharmacists who were at the lunch to buy their medicines (one was Glucosamine, which mom takes). When we arrived everyone kept asking if I could speak Thai, I was so embarrassed that everyone kept asking and even more embarrassed that I couldn’t that I almost cried! They had squid and fish for lunch, so I mainly ate vegetables. One of the guys was really nice and ordered me some fried chicken and some fruit. I ate papaya for the first time today, it tastes like some medicine the doctor used to give me when I was little but I ate a lot of it anyway because I didn’t want to be rude (Meow has never tried papaya in her life and wouldn’t today). When they were giving their presentation the waitress came and gave us a dessert menu and I got this really good rice and sweet sauce thing. After the information part they did some questions and Meow answered one right so she got some of the pills they were trying to sell. Later they played charades and Meow made me go up with her (as a prize she got some more pills). When we were leaving they asked us to wait a minute so they could do a drawing. They took everyone’s names from when we entered and put them in a bucket. My name was drawn so I got the prize! It ended up being an abs workout set that I wouldn’t mind using but the instructions are all in Thai so I have no idea what to do!

After lunch we went back to Big C to pick up the computer. I almost forgot that the first time we got parked in. In Thailand when you run out of parking you just park your car in front of the other cars, but perpendicular to them, and you leave it in Neutral so they can move it when someone wants to get their car out. Well the person didn’t leave their car in neutral so the security people had to move a whole bunch of cars in order for us to get out. On our second trip we were the ones parking someone else in, but they didn’t have to move our car because we were in their for a very short time. We got back to the house a little after 5 so I decided to go on the computer and read some of the other students’ blogs (I’ve been reading some of the other YES abroad student’s blogs so see what they are up to). My host mom came in a told Mike to come help her wash her car, but he didn’t go. She couldn’t get either of the kids to help her so I went out and helped. Meow finally came out in time to clean the rugs, but then we were done.

After the car was clean I read a little and then Meow came and asked if I wanted dinner because no one else was going to eat. I told her I had to eat, so I ended up eating alone (which worked out because then it was easier to pick out the squid). Now I’m blogging, but I don’t know what I’m going to do after this. I don’t think we are going to the festival tonight because everyone is very tired. Tomorrow we are going because my host mom’s favorite singer is performing. I think I will try to shave tonight and then head to bed so that I’m well rested for my busy day tomorrow.

Lots of love to all of you who are now 13 hours different than me! Have a good day.