Three Weeks

Another weekend has come and gone.  I can't believe it's almost February! Crazy.

Friday, we paid a visit to a fish farm.  In the morning our task was to help collect eggs from the tilapia being raised there.  They store their eggs in their mouths, so we had to open their mouth to get them out.  Before heading into the water, I thought I understood the basic concept.  But fighting with a wriggling fish proved to be very difficult.  Good thing the Thai workers were there to finish up the job.  For lunch we had steamed tilapia.  The most fresh fish I have or will ever taste.  It was delicious.  In the afternoon we helped move fish from one pond to another.  It was quite the day.  I enjoyed learning about how aquaculture works first hand.

Saturday I got to eat at a restaurant specializing in salads! It was quite a treat--my first completely vegetarian meal in quite some time.  After salad for lunch, my host dad, sister, and I went to a really nice place for tea.

I had rose tea for the first time.  It tasted exactly like roses smell...beautiful.

Sunday we made a trip to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek Gardens.  It is a very beautiful and expansive place.  We explored on foot and with the help of buses that drive around the gardens.

There were gardens for different countries, so of course we stopped by the one representing the Netherlands.

This coming week is another week of classes.  I don't think we have anything special planned, but we'll see. Only two more weeks with my host family before moving into apartments.  That will be a nice change of pace, although I will certainly miss my host family!

Retreat

This past weekend we went on a retreat to a national park in the mountains.  It was time to relax and get to know each other better.  Before getting to the park, we stopped by a reservoir to take a swim test.  We had to swim out to a buoy and back, and then tread water for 15 minutes.  The redeeming part of that experience was that we found some adorable puppies to play with afterwords.

Also at the swim test location, we were served a beautiful lunch with some interesting dishes...one of them was a jar with little shrimp that were still jumping around!  In order to eat them, you shook that jar to stun the shrimp and cover them with spice, and then took a bite.  They were pretty good, actually.

From there we headed to the park.  We were in a really beautiful location, with a waterfall about a 10 minute walk away.  The weekend included bananagrams, nutella, bonfires, s'mores, badminton, waterfall trips, as well as practicing some helpful scenarios such as evacuating a hurt person (in our case, a "broken leg") from the forest.

A weekend well spent.

Today, as part of our foundations class we went to two different markets to observe what was going on.  It was a fun outing.  Tomorrow I believe we are visiting a temple and learning a bit about Buddhism.  Friday we are visiting a fish farm.  I've got a full week ahead of me, and I'm looking forward to it!

-Grace

Weekend!

This past weekend was the first weekend I spent with my host family.

On Saturday, I went to my host sister's ballet lesson.  When she was done, my host dad took us to a wat at the top of a mountain that is visible from the city below.  It is so beautiful!  Apparently Chiang Mai University students walk all the way up the mountain to visit the wat every year.  That must be quite the hike, because it took us a while to make it to the top driving on the winding street that leads to the top.

On Sunday I went to Indy's ballet lesson again in the morning.  Then we went to a supermarket to pick up some groceries, I stopped by the bank to exchange some money, and we ate lunch at none other than McDonalds.  The menu was pretty much a paired down version of the ones in the U.S.  The inside was much nicer though...we sat on upholstered chairs and couches with cushions.  Classy.

Later in the day, my host dad and I sat at a coffee shop while Indy had a piano lesson, and then we stopped by a store so that I could by a couple more uniforms for school.

This week, we start a lecture class in the afternoons.  Now it's starting to feel like regular school again, as we have received our first assigned reading of the semester.  Tomorrow is another cross fit day.  Hopefully I hold up a little better this time!

-Grace 

First Week

These past few days have been very busy!

On Wednesday afternoon, we had a city orientation in the form of a scavenger hunt.  We were given a list of locations and a time to leave and return.  So, in groups of 3 and 4 we set off.  We walked to the main road, and waved down a rot dang.  It is a like a red truck with benches and a roof, with an open back to jump in.  First we stopped at Chiang Mai University and took the necessary pictures to prove that we were there.  Next was on to a mall.  It is the biggest mall I have ever seen.  I'm not sure how many stories there are, as we only went up to level 3.  We had to find a post office, and search for a photobooth, which we never ended up finding.  Next we stopped by a hospital.  We were supposed to take a picture with a staff person, but when they started calling their superiors to ask permission, we thanked them and left...didn't want to cause too much trouble!  Then on to a wat, which is like a temple, in the old city.

The wat we visited

I might be forgetting something, but the last place we went was a very large market.  You could find anything you needed there.  Food, clothing, shoes, and many other trinkets.  I could have spent much longer there, and I'm sure I will visit again.

Today was another eventful day.  Instead having class at ISDSI, we met at 7:30 in the morning and headed to the mountains as a group.  We went to crazy horse buttress to rock climb and explore caves.  It was sanuk, which is a bit hard to explain, but I'll boil it down to "fun."  We split into two groups, and in the morning, my group went rock climbing while the other group explored the caves.  Rock climbing was great.  I had never gone climbing on real rocks before, and it was wonderful! And the view from the top was worth the struggle to get there.

The afternoon brought more adventures as my group headed for the caves.  We got to rappel down 55 meters into a deep cave and walk around, with our head lamps on.

I have been having so much fun during my first week in Thailand; and I'm looking forward to my first weekend.  Now I am heading to bed...spending all days climbing wears you out!

-Grace

Getting Settled

This is my second whole day in Thailand.  My host family is lovely!  I have two younger siblings, Indy and Otto.  Indy is in 1st grade and helps me out, because she speaks almost perfect english.  Otto is 2, and adorable.  My grandma makes delicious food, and my dad is great.  My mom is in Bangkok right now, but I will meet her when she gets back.

Classes at ISDSI have been packed full of learning Thai.  We have intensive Thai class from 8-12 in the morning.  After lunch the first couple days, we have been having orientation, but I think that time slot will soon be filled with other classes.  Today was the first day of twice weekly cross fit training.  It kicked my butt, and left me feeling sick to my stomach.  But hopefully I will get in shape quickly, so I don't feel sick after working out.  Yikes.

Now I am just hanging out with the family after dinner.  I am looking forward to what tomorrow brings! The weather has been consistently lovely, in the mid 70s.  I am trying to appreciate this temperature while it lasts, because it will soon get very hot.

-Grace

I made it!

I am in Chiang Mai, Thailand!  And I am exhausted.  It took about 21 hours in the air to get here, but I made it.  All flights went smoothly, for which I am very grateful.  Upon arrival at about 11 pm Thai time, we (me and two other girls I was flying with) were met by two staff members from ISDSI.  We spent the night at a guest house, and were picked up at 7:30 to begin class.  We began learning Thai right away.  I don't think I have ever received such a large volume of information in such a short time.  Hopefully I will actually remember some of what I learned!

I haven't met my host family yet...they will be picking me up from ISDSI in about 10 minutes actually.  I am very ready to get my stuff settled and take a nap!

-Grace

P.S.  The weather here is lovely!  

Goodbye!

I have been saying a lot of goodbyes recently.  Goodbyes are a bit strange.  The strangeness lies mostly in their similarity.  Saying goodbye for 5 months is not much different than saying goodbye for a week or a day.  Perhaps the hugs last a little longer, but other than that, one goodbye is just like the next.  I have found myself wishing there was a certain procedure for longer goodbyes that would make them mean something more.  But as there is no such thing, a regular goodbye will have to do!

Goodbye!

Thank you for all of the love and support I have been receiving as I prepare to depart.  I leave tomorrow morning and will arrive in Chiang Mai Sunday night.  Just in time for class on Monday...
The next post will be from Thailand!

-Grace

Packing

Right now, I have a large suitcase sitting in my room, filled with just about everything I need.  I am still making last minute purchases and adjustments, and what is in there has been thrown in haphazardly.  Over the next few days I will more purposefully fold and place things in my suitcase, so as to make optimal use of the space. (I am trying to fit 5 months of my life into one suitcase!)
It was when I started packing that my trip started to feel real.  I have been thinking and preparing for this trip for a very long time now.  But when I started to set stuff aside, it felt like concrete evidence that it was really going to happen.

Only two full days left in the U.S. before I set out.  Two full days of travel, and five months of living in Chiang Mai.  I am very excited, and only slightly less nervous.  I can't wait for the semester to begin!