Three Months

After tucking the keychain on my backpack inside my bag I'm ready to go. I walk across the uneven pavement and across the train tracks. Monkeys are all around; they gnaw on banana peels, the remains of someone's uneaten lunch and anything else they can scrounge up on the street. As I pass, some of them stare at me, there eyes following my every step. [This is why I have tucked my keychains inside my bag. After seeing a monkey rip one of my friends keychains off and steal my other friends glasses right off her face, I know I have to be careful around the monkeys.] It's about a twenty minute walk home from school, but I stop here and their looking in the windows of shops and down streets. I stop in one shop and the shop owner begins a conversation with me... asking about why I have a school uniform on. I explain that I'm an exchange student and this fuels his interest, we end up talking for about fifteen or twenty minutes solely in Thai. He explains that he is trying to learn English and asks me what I want to do when I grow up. So many people ask me this now and still I don't know... journalism, design, international relations, baking, forestry... so many options. Finally, I take my leave but not until I've promised to come visit his shop again. A week later I visit again and I'm pleased to see he can remember me. I enjoy talking with him and as I leave today he gives me a bunch of fresh bananas. A simple gesture, but one that illustrates perfectly the kindness I have found in Thailand. Today marks my third month in Thailand. So many strange things now seem entirely normal to me; watching out for monkeys on the street, elephants being led around town late at night, entire squids in your soup, fried fish--the whole thing--eyes, skins, scales, tail on your plate, taking off your shoes when entering shops, going to the market rather than a department store, wearing a school uniform, showering twice a day, eating dinner food for breakfast, wai-ing, going outside in November without a coat and so many other things. I've met innumerable kind people, been taken in by a wonderful family, been shown many places in Central Thailand, been taught about the culture and customs of Thai people, learned a ton of Thai, acquired a sick addiction to spicy food and gained a new perspective on and appreciate of many things.

This is an amazing journey. Every day there are challenges, trials, successes--every day, every little thing is part of the adventure.  I love it.

Right now I'm looking forward to Loy Krathong which is a holiday celebrated on November 28th. Thai people make Krathongs which are vessels made from banana leaves and flowers and float them on  rivers, lakes or the ocean. With the Krathong they cast away the negatives of the year and wish for happiness and success in the year to come.

Also... funny fact, my "try anything once/just say yes" attitude has gotten me entered in a two day Thai beauty contest later this month. I will be wearing modern Thai traditional clothes and right now I'm just hoping I don't trip in my heels... try everything once! It's all part of the adventure! :)

Life is good!

Kearn