The Village People

Once again I have no idea where to begin. Where could I possibly begin to describe two and a half weeks spent isolated in rural hilltribe villages of Northern Thailand? I promise when I get my laptop after this semester, I will put up some pictures although even that can't tell the whole story.

In all, we stayed in 5 different villages. The first village, we spent one night in. The next two villages we spent two nights in each. And the last two villages we spent five nights in each. To get from one to the other--we walked. For over two weeks I did not: ride in any motorized vehicle, sit on a toilet seat, take a hot (by hot I mean anything except breath-takingly cold) shower, use a sink, eat a meal without rice, see my own face, or even sit in a chair. Seriously.

All of the villages that we stayed in are Karen villages, which is one of the many different hilltribes that populate the area. They are well known for their kindness, hospitality, and also their weaving. Most of the women and some of the men still wear the traditional dress. They love their bright colors, including lots of flourescent pink. They also work hard (at least in these particular villages) to preserve other cultural traditions, such as blacksmithing, ancient songs, and herbal medicine-- all of which we got a chance to learn about and try. Their native language is Backinyaw. Much of the older generation, therefore, does not know Thai, which was beyond frustrating. But the majority of the villagers spoke at least some Thai, though it is a second language for them (not like that matters to us). The Karen are also known for their agricultural practices. Like most other hilltribes, they use a form of swidden agriculture which means basically that they burn a plot of forest, plant it for one year, then let it return to forest for up to ten years before farming that land again. But comparatively speaking, they tend to execute this in a very sustainable way. So much of our academic time was spent learning more about how they use their land, the impacts of that, and the problems they encounter. We also spent alot of time learning about the specifics of the different forest types that we passed through. But that's the boring stuff.

I'll start with the hikes. We had four big hikes, with our backpacks. Each was absolutely beautiful but also very different from the next. The first was along a river. We crossed it probably around 15 times. The deepest water that we encountered reached just above my knee. When we weren't crossing it, we were usually either right next to it or literally walking up the river, since a few sections of the river were contained by vertical rock walls, which didn't allow for a trail on either side (= GORGEOUS). Some of the river was calm and smooth, other parts were rocky and rapid, and there were even some small waterfalls scattered throughout. The most challenging part of the hike was its technicality, since it required alot of careful footing. I was also 'lucky' enough to see a snake slither right in front of my feet as I wandered off to go to the bathroom-- so that's always exciting. The next hike was the longest, as it took us 7 hours. But keep in mind, that always includes a lengthy lunch break. Whenever we hiked, our host families from the village we were leaving would pack us a lunch. This included a giant brick of rice wrapped in a banana leaf and some baggies of leftover dishes. More on food later. Anyways, this hike was nothing too spectacular, just your typical up (by up I mean straight up a steep slope)and down through tropical forests. The next hike was essentially like climbing a mountain. But it was especially enjoyable because someone in this country finally learned about switchbacks! We basically just headed up until the trees thinned and we were welcomed by an extraordinary view. It felt strangely familiar-- feeling like I was on top of everything and seeing only the continually lighter silouhettes of mountains deep into the horizon. Who knew Thailand's green mounatins could be so similar to the Rockies? The last hike was another long one but it had a little bit of everything: beautiful views, steep slopes, a few river crossings, and lots and lots of forest. On every hike we always had a couple of local guides. Often they were in flip flops. Often they were very small, older men. And often, they turned around once we reached our destination and walked back home the same day-- granted it would only take them half the amount of time to go back (they didn't have backpacks, okay?). So that was impressive. We also took two smaller day hikes during our time in the villages. One was to climb Doi Pui, the tallest mountain in the province. That offered even more spectacular mounatin views. Plus, we had our midcourse seminar at the top with out professor from Chiang Mai. Not a bad classroom if you ask me. The second small hike was to a 300 meter tall waterfall. wow.

But the real meat of this experience, in my opinion, was living with the families: eating their food, sleeping under their roofs, helping with their chores, and talking with them (or at least trying to). The houses were all somewhat similar. Many of them were built on stilts so that the water buffalo, pigs, and chickens could live underneath. Bamboo is a common building material which is used by making vertical cracks down the cyclinder and then unfolding it so that it lays flat. Walls were either this type of bamboo, wood slats, or every once in a while just nonexistent. If you were lucky, the floors were wood. Otherwise, they were the bamboo sheets which a total of about 4 students broke right through. Roofs were either thatched with palm leaves or made of tin. There was always a 'kitchen' which featured a continously burning wood fire pit and thats about it. Many families often also slept in this room. And then there was usually one or two other rooms that were largely empty as well. Most of the homes I stayed in had a small TV, though I'm not sure how many of them actually worked. They all had electricity thanks to solar panels. And they all had NO furniture. Students would always stay either two or three per house, where we would sleep on thin mats or folded quilts on the floor with mosquito nets hung above us. Bathrooms were outhouse style, unattached to the house. They featured a squat toilet, and a bucket shower. Those first few scoops of water were always rough but once you got your breath back, it was worth it to feel clean again.

The food turned out to be much better than I was expecting. In fact, in some villages, the food was actually good. Since they lived off of their land, there wasn't a ton of variety. We ate a lot of pumpkin, fired eggs, this cucumber/melon thing, pumpkin, ramon noodles, longbeans, and pumpkin. It's a good thing I loved that pumpkin. But surprisingly, I never had to eat anything really crazy. A few students found a rat head in their soup once but not me! I did watch one of my host mothers hold a dead squirrel by the tail and dunk it into the fire, but it remained on a shelf above the fire, smoking, until the day we left.

In an attempt to give a feeling for some of the experiences I have had with my families in the villages, the following is a small collection of brief stories:

One day, my host family took Allie and I to duu bplaa or "watch fish". At first we were a little confused, thinking maybe they really meant to "go fishing". But no. We walked through rice fields until we came to this small, water filled cave. Apparently, it is a sort of Buddhist shrine for the village. Therefore, nobody actually fishes there, but they do come to watch and feed the fish. Our adorable 2 year old host brother especially enjoyed this.

We spent an afternoon at the village school playing games with the kids. Even though the games were different, it was fascinating how similar the Karen kids' games were to those from our childhoods.

One of my host mothers took us to gather firewood with her. She is an older, very small woman. She wore the traditional woven skirt and shirt. She is nothing short a sweet old lady. And she absolutely showed us up with a machete. Then, she carried a huge basket full of wood on her back by a strap wrapped across her forehead.

During one of the longer homestays, we stayed in a Christian village. My housemates and I became really close to our family in the short time that we stayed there. One thing that I will never forget is sitting next to the fire in their kitchen, with a belly full of rice and pumpkin, and learning to sing Backinyaw church songs. And then, at the cultural exchange, watching our host father's face as we sang those songs for the entire village. He looked like he could burst with pride.

At that same village, we discovered a giant (softball sized) spider uncomfortably close to our bags and beds. So what did we do? Go get our Pati (host dad) and beg for help. He had just the solution. After assessing the problem, he returned to the room with a stick. And poked it. What the heck is that supposed to do? Not surprisngly, the spider would just run around in completely unpredictable directions, causing us girls to squeal a little everytime. Eventually, by some stroke of luck, it scurried through a slat in the wall and left the room.

It is November and in Thailand that means...rice harvest! So in one of the villagers, we spent a day helping our families with this incredibly important process. All of the families were at different points in the harvest so we all ended up doing different things. Some were cutting down the rice stalks. Some were bundling and tying the stalks together. Some, like me, were thrashing the bundles to seperate the husked rice from the stalks. Basically, we just whacked the stalks against this half cyclindrical, slanted piece of wood until the rice kernels had all fallen off. This task wasn't too difficult but I can't imagine going out to the field and harvesting day after day. It is an incredible amount of work, but does result in the family's rice for an entire year. It really felt like an honor to be part of such a truly sacred and traditional activity.

I awoke one morning to find my three year old host brother sitting beside an outdoor firepit. He was pulling pieces of wood out of the fire and sharpening the ends with a machete. A real fire. A real, sharp machete. A real three year old boy. But... he was good at it. He is the son of a blacksmith.

So hopefully this helps shed some light on what I've been up to. I know this is long, but I also know I cannot convey how incredible this experience truly was. It has given me alot to think about, and is something that I will never forget. I am so thankful to heve had this opportunity. Speaking of, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Goodbye again

Happy Halloween! I hope you are all celebrating since over here, there is a serious lack of pumpkins, masks, and candy corn. But there is still a festive mood here. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday is one of the biggest festivals of the year. It is dedicated to paying respect for the river. At school yesterday, we got to make little floats out of a piece banana trunk and intricately decorate them with banana leaves, lots and lots of flowers, and a candle. Thousands and thousands of these floats will be let go down the river. At the same time, thousands and thousands of paper bag lanterns will be let off into the sky. So it should be quite the sight. Unfortunately, we will only get to celebrate on Sunday because on Monday...we're off!

We are leaving for our second field course, the political ecology of forests. It takes place in the Northwest corner of Thailand in an area called Mae Hong Song. We will be backpacking through the forests in the mountains from village to village. At some villages we'll stay for only a day but at some we will be around for several days. And everywhere we go, we will be living with host families- which always makes for some unique experiences and good stories. I can't wait!

The past week has been spent in the city. We were back in the classroom everyday which was quite the change of pace. Last Sunday, my Chiang Mai host family picked me up at my apartment and took me out to...Pizza Hut. I didn't think I was craving American food but oh. my. god. Its not even good pizza but that cheese, that salad, and that salad dressing? It hit the spot. And it was so good to see my family again. They were excited to hear about my trip and were excited to test my Thai language skills. After we ate, we did some Barbie window shopping and played some air hockey before they dropped me back off. I also visited my host mom from Mae Ta, with the other student who lived with me there, on Wednesday morning before school at the market where she sells her produce. She was so cute, she just lit up when she saw us. We had printed off a couple of pictures of us with the family and of their fields to give to her. She showed them off to her friends and customers. And of course she showered us with delicious food and the infamous Mae Ta sticky rice.

Thats about all that I have. But I'll be back in about three weeks with another update. So until then, Sa Wat Dii Kha!

I'm Baaack!

Where to start?? The last three weeks have been busy, exciting, eye-opening, amusing, and awesomely fun. I can only attempt to hit on some of the highlights.

The course started with a few hikes up into the mountains of Northern Thailand. So there we were, finally in the field. The scenery was extraordinary. Huge expanses of lush green land interspersed with some linear rows of crops whenever we neared a village. We spent two nights out in this area, each in a different village. And when I say village, we are talking legitimate hill tribe village. These people were ethnic Palong, a people who fled from Burma around 40 years ago. And they were learning how to use the difficult hillside land that they had been left in order to provide their livlihoods. A few pioneering villagers had started agroforests on their land, which essentially means they planted a forest that would produce food and other products. The theory behind this is that the more closely an agricultural field resembles a truely natural ecosystem, the more sustainable it will be-- by reducing erosion, eliminating the need for irrigation or chemicals, maximizing nutrient cycles, etc. So we got a tour of everything these villagers were doing to try to provide for the families in this sort of sustainable way. The homes in these villages are on stilts and made primarily of bamboo and thatched roofing. They would cook us meals and then at night, sit and talk with us about their lives. It was very humbling to hear one man talk about how happy he is because 1) his son has citizenship (he does not), 2) he has enough to food for his family to eat, and 3) he has "enough". It really doesn't take much.

After those couple of days, we moved to the Upland Hollistic Development Project (UHDP) which is the organization that taught and helped the previously mentioned villagers start up tehir agroforests. It is a research center that works on developing different methods that marginalized hill tribe people in Northern Thailand can utilize to better their lives. But it in itself is like a village since the staff live on the grounds surrounded by their experimental fields and agroforests. While we were there, we stayed in a relatively comfortable bunkhouse. They cooked us DELICIOUS Thai food for lunch and dinner but gave us an 'American' spread for breakfast. I was pretty sick of toast and peanut butter after about the second day. Our days were filled with all sorts of activities: plant identification, plot surveys, industrial tangerine farm visit, organic tanegrine farm visit, compost making, natural pesticide amking, plant propogation, and more. One day was dedicated to foraging for food from the forest and then cooking it so that our entire lunch came from UHDP's land. The final meal included a frog dish made from ground up whole frogs (bones and all), and wood fired crickets, among other more normal things. Another day was dedicated to...a pig slaughter. We spent the morning talking with staff of three different tribal backgrounds. They told us of the traditional significance of killing pigs within each of their cultures. And then after lunch, we killed a pig. I will save you the gory details, but I will say, tehey were gory. It was quite the experience and absolutely gave us all alot to think about. But it was a great opportunity because we were involved in every step of the process. After the pig was dead, we all helped to shave it, disect it, and then butcher it. There we were, a bunch of American students sitting outside of banana leaves, machetes in hand, hacking away at huge chunks of raw pork. They used the entire pig. In fact, while we were butchering the body, we were fed snacks of pig tail and ear. I also ended up trying the nose, intetsines, and liver. None of which I have much desire to eat again but the meat itself, which we feasted on a mere 4 hours after the pig was killed, was amazing. Truly delicious. All together, our time at UHDP was really great. We got to interact alot with the community memebers-- even just playing cards, or soccer, or hula hooping. And I now know more about ratan than I would have ever wished to.

After our time at UHDP, we had to travel down to the lowland community of Mae Ta. But along the way we stopped in paradise. We spent one night at an eco-resort characterised by small bungalows, towering trees, gourmet food, and the most comfortable beds in Thailand. Our professor from Chiang Mai met us there to hold a mid course seminar, but we also got alot of free time to explore the area. I went with a couple of people up the road and then up 500 steps to a gorgeous Wat nestled onto the mountaindside. So for one precious day and night, we enjoyed the kind of luxury that only complimentray bathrobes and mouthwatering porkchops can bring. It was cruel, really, to taunt us with this in the middle of a field course.

We reluctantly left the resort and headed off to Mae Ta. Of the 1000 or so families in Mae Ta, around 400 have switched to organic agriculture rather than chemically intensive agriculture. So we were there to live with and learn from families that had made the switch. Here, we lived 2 students per host family. My family was hysterical. The language barrier was especially difficult since these people speak a dialect of Northern Thai, so the central Thai that we have been learning is their second language, not to mention the fact that we barely know it anyways. But it helped alot to have another student around to try to decipher the various conversations. Our dad is a bit of a whiskey addict, coming home with the moonshine packaged in only a plastic bag. He poured it into a old plastic water bottle before pouring us a taste. Our mom is, as Christie (my housemate) fondly says, "an angel in the kitchen". Every meal was a feast and every feast was delicious. Plus, just about all of the food came directly from our families land-- the most local and fresh you can find. We had 2 or 3 sisters, its hard to tell. Three girls lived in the house but apparently one is a Thai student who was also just staying briefly-- except we are not sure which one she is as they all seemed so familial. Oh well. The girls were 16, 18, and 20 so it was always fun to chat with them about school and boys, two subjects that our Thai vocabs limitedly allowed. Their house was pretty nice. The eating and living areas were both on an outdoor covered patio, which I found interesting because the most valuable thing in the house-- the TV and stereo-- were constantly available for any greedy hands. Th ebathroom had a traditional Thai squat toilet (basically a hole in the ground) and a bucket shower (large bucket of water with small pail used to scoop water onto yourself). And none of the house was sealed, as the eaves below the roof were open to the outdoors. This meant I was often showering with snails or racing spiders across floors. I also saw the BIGGEST spider I have ever seen in my life on one wall-- the diameter of a grapefruit. The house also had a small garden out back, along with a few concrete tubs of catfish, and a bajillion chicks, not to mention a couple of noisy roosters. So, we spent a couple of days on our families farm, hoeing and picking vegetables. But honestly, I have no idea how these families keep up their farms. All of them will work for an hour, but then if its hot- take a break, if its sunny- get a drink, if its raining- take a break, if you're tired- take a nap, if you're hungry- eat, if you feel like it- take a break. In 8 hours on the farm, they will work for maybe 4. Its amazing. We then got an opportunity to go with our families (at 3:30 am) and help them sell their produce at a local market. It was pretty cool to follow this short food chain and see the food go from farm all the way into the consumers' hands. On other days, we had meeting with commnity memebers or did activities like hiking the watershed. This proved to be quite the lesson on wildlife, though. Just about everyone found at least one leech on them throughout the hike, but typically it was more like 3 or 4. I caught 5 but none of them had made it past my shoes and socks. Then, when we had reached the spring, the source of the water, we were standing around talking about with out village guides. And someone notices, 6 inches from where another student was standing, a slim, bright green coil wrapped around a low branch. Viper. Poisonous Viper. The snake didn't seem to alarmed as he barely moved a muscle, but all of us were quick to give him plenty of room. Until we noticed another one a few yards away, again only inches from other students. So that was exciting, to say the least.

So much more happened but it would take me forever to recount it all. I really loved being out in the field. And I really loved that my professors were all local village men and women, without college degress but with a heck of alot of experience and local knowledge. I'm already looking foraward to the next field course, one week from Monday. Returning to the city was a bit of a shock, but is also exciting and comes with alot more freedom.

Finally, yesterday, we went to Burma. We drove the 4 hrs up to the border with the sole prupose of crossing and renewing our Thai visas. We spent about two hours in Burma, in the crowded market filled with pirated DVDs, knockoff designer stuff, cheap SE asian souvenirs, and beggars. It was pretty overwhelming and a bit sad, and I left empty handed. But it was certainly an adventure and the 8 hours in the car was almost welcome after such a busy couple of weeks.

Moving

I have officially moved my life (which consists of two suitcases) to my new digs. Everyone's families helped them move in last Saturday. It was a bittersweet morning. After a photo session with the family, my Meh, Paw, and Fai (Fern had a class to go to) took me out to lunch-- and I was surprised when I found ourselves at the nicest restaurant we've been to so far. DELICIOUS. Then it was time to move in. We carried all my stuff up to my new room. My parents were so cute, they walked around checking to be sure everything was working: water, fan, AC, balcony door, drawers, everything. Turns out the AC was broken, so they waited around for someone to come fix it. I ended up having to move down the hall. The building we're living in is kind of a cross between an apartment building and a dorm. It's pretty close to Chiang Mai University so just down the street is a really great area full of trendy boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Plus, there is a huge mall also in walking distance-- so the location is pretty great. I have a single room which includes a big armoire, a desk, a chair, a vanity, a fridge, a TV, and... a KING sized bed, plus I have my own bathroom. It's pretty funny though, all the furniture is just a hodge-podge of cheap stuff and varies from room to room. The move is definitely a step down in luxury, but a step up in independence.

We've finally been able to experience some Thai nightlife now that we are on our own. So we've all been busy scoping the scene and visiting the local bars, dance clubs, restaurants, bowling, etc. A couple of times, around 20 of us have all gone out together which causes quite the scene. 20 big, white farang (foreigners) marching into a local Thai joint always turns heads. But it's been really fun, especially when we meet some great Thai people along the way.

The new dorm has also brought about a new daily routine. I no longer feel like a 6 year old child being dropped off and picked up at school everyday. Instead, (mom, stop reading here) I willingly go on a suicidal walk every morning. Our school is about 25 minutes away from where we live by foot. But they are some sketchy 25 minutes. Most of it is along the "Superhighway". I don't know how to describe the driving here in Thailand except to say that it is utter madness. Traffic lights and lane lines are essentially inconsequential. The cars and motorcycles just continously weave in and out, unpredicatably and choatically. Plus, as the director of our program once acurately revealed, Thais drive on the left side of the road...usually. Unless it is more convient or more shaded on the right. So basically I walk along the side of this road with oncoming traffic zooming by at about 40-50 mph. But the few precious minutes of the walk spent on an actual sidewalk are a luxury. The vast majority is spent on the shoulder of the road. But 'shoulder' is really just another word for lane in the eyes of the Thai, especially those on motorcycles. So this zooming traffic? is passing inches away from me. But, I've managed to survive so far. And I've only witnessed one accident-- some dude just rear ended the guy in front of him when they were coming to stop at a light. It wasn't too serious but I did hear something shatter. But neither of them got out of their cars! Yesterday's walk was particularly dangerous since it was drizzling and the roads were wet. So the people on motorcycles would be holding the hood of their ponchos over their heads with one hand in a desperate attempt to keep their hair dry. Nevermind that they couldn't see where they were going, they would just lift the hood up a bit every so often to survey the scene. Then, one motorcyclist passed me driving with an open umbrella! But she's going like 40 mph so the thing is just making her wobble like crazy. All of this makes for a pretty exciting way to start the morning. But after school-- in the afternoon heat-- I usually take a rot-daang (pickup truck taxi thing) back home. So I'm really only risking my life once a day...

We also started our second course this past week: Agroecology. So last week's seminars were spent discussing modern agriculture and the crisis that it is in as well as solutions for sustainable food systems. But this means that... we leave on Monday!! for our first field course. So after just getting settled in to the dorms-- we move again. We will be gone for just under three weeks. Half of the time will be spent in this experimental organic farm close to the Burmese border. The other half of the field course is spent in a village where we live with host families and work with them on their farms. We'll be learning alot about (and doing alot of) actual sustainable farming practices. There's alot more involved in the field course but I'll tell you about it once I get back! We won't have any internet connection while we are out so it'll be a while before I can communicate again. And hopefully by then I'll have much to tell!

Bangkok...Here I Come!

First off, I have good news: it looks like I will be studying at Thammasat University next semester! It's a university in Bangkok, and I will be there essentially as an international exchange student. The enormous capital is pretty intimidating, but hopefully I'll be fairly comfortable with most things Thai by then. So I guess it won't be till May-ish that I return to American soil...

Well, we had another Friday Fun Day at school last week. Instead of the usual black and white school uniform, everyone arrived in their hiking gear armed with plenty of water, bugspray, and rain gear. We were hiking Doi Suthep. If you remember, that is the mountain with the huge, beutiful Wat (temple) on top. We left school at around 9 in the morning and drove to the base of the hill. By this time, it had been raining for hours. Not a heavy pouring rain, but a steady light rain. This, however, was much preferable over the potential sun and heat. So basically 33 of us students plus 3 instructors headed up. The trail was obviously wet and therefore muddy and slippery. It was narrow with rainforest surrounding it on both sides and above. You often had to duck under or clamber over downed trunks, leaning branches, or draping vines. Walking over sheets of rock was especially slippery, and shallow roots often criss-crossed through the dirt path. Also, several rivers ran across the trail, necesitating some intricate crossings. Not to mention, the whole switchback thing is a pretty foreign concept, and the trail often headed straight uphill. Add it all up and it made for a fun, messy, and not quite leisurely trek. Plus, it felt so good to be outside moving around again. And we made a few stops along the way.

We had been following a stream up the mountain. As we rounded a corner, the stream widened and flowed thinly over huge sheets of rock. On the opposite bank, a collection of walls, staircases, roofs, and sculptures seemed to grow out of the woods. We had reached a forest Wat (temple). Many buildings made up the compound. Some looked very old, with moss and vegetation flowing out of the cracks in between bricks. The main temple was a newer looking room featuring an impressive buddha peacefully sitting at the front of the space. There was also housing for the monks who lived there. We got some time to explore and admire. It was great because there were no other tourists around. Only us, the occasional monk, and the undisturbed giant spiders waiting in their webs. Since the roots of Buddhism are so ingrained in nature, I feel like it only makes sense to seek enlightenment in such a natural environment.

Our next stop along the mountain was at a waterfall. It was almost as big as the one we had seen on our retreat, and just as beautiful. At the base of the fall, we had lunch. Everyone grabbed a package about the size of a head of lettuce that was wrapped in a giant lotus leaf. We opened up the lotus leaves only to find an apple alongside several other smaller packages wrapped in banana leaves. There were: 2 big pieces of chicken, sticky rice, assorted cooked vegetables (including a delicious pumpkin/squash thing), fried shallots?, and nam prik (spicy chili paste). Everything was SO good! And it was pretty cool to know that all of the 'waste' from our meal was not really waste at all-- we chucked it all in compst bins.

After the waterfall, the trail got a bit steeper as we continued uphill. But it seemed like every 4 turns we took, another roaring waterfall would present itself. It was beautiful, enjoyable hike; despite the occasional leech findings. Eventually we made it up to the National Park center on top of Doi Suthep. There, we changed into some cleaner, more appropriate clothes before our taxis took us around to the front of the mountain. Then, we got an hour to explore the temple. Not surprisingly, it was just as beautiful as the first time I saw it (even if it is a tourist trap). We all enjoyed some snacks and the free time after our long walk. And then, we enjoyed a luxury taxi ride back down the mountain to school.

The rest of the weekend was spent with my family. All of us girls went out to a Korean restaurant one night. Essesntially, there was just a buffet of raw meat and seafood which you then cooked at your table on this little wood burning stove thing. It was delicious and fun, as long as you are patient and don't mind the inevitable cross-contamination of raw and cooked meat. I also went to the zoo with Paw and Fai (she has been talking about it for weeks). It's a huge place and you have to take shuttles to get around, but overall it's not too different from our zoos-- just not as high-tech or clean. The weekend also involved many hours watching a DVD of a Thai popstar's concert, shopping for traditional Lanna (Northern Thai) clothing, discovering the political beliefs of my family, and eating some pig's blood. Unfortunately, it was the last weekend that I will be living my family. On Saturday, we all move into apartments. I'm excited to have alot more independence and freedom, but pretty sad that I won't be coming home to these fun, exciting, and helpful Thai people everyday. No worries though-- they're always asking if I will visit. My reply: Absolutely!

Meet the Family

Two weekends ago, I met the family. It seemed like everytime I turned around there was a new family member to greet. It began Saturday morning, when Grandma and I were the only ones home. I was upstairs in my room reading when all of a sudden I hear a baby cry. Hmm... After much deliberation-- who are these people? Do they want to meet me? Should I pretend that I am sleeping? Do they know I can hear them? Do they speak any English?-- I went downstairs. There was a young couple with a small girl eating lunch, playing, and chatting with Grandma. I had no idea who they were. They did not know English. Thankfully, I occupied myself with eating the beautiful spread that was on the table. Soon, the rest of my family came home, and I immediately noticed the resemblance between the mystery woman and my Meh, after which Meh told me about her family. But there was little time to socialize because Meh, Fai, and I had to take off. We went to pick up Laurie, another student from DU who is living with Fern's best friend's family. Then Laurie and I were dropped off at Ban Tawai. It's an area with rows and rows of stalls and shops selling mostly wood carvings and products, and antiques. Some also sell other home decor items such as vases, paintings, pillows and tapestries; while some sell clothing or gift items. The stuff is really beautiful and the handiwork is really impressive. It makes me really want a private plane to bring back stuff in and a new house to decorate. So we spent a couple of hours happily looking around and picking up a few goodies and gifts.

Later that night, my family and I went out to dinner. The "restaurant", like many others here, consisted of a makeshift kitchen set up essentially on the sidwalk with a few small tables and plastic stools set out in front. With the cars zooming by on the four lane road 15 feet from us, we enjoyed the tasty food. When we returned home, more family! However, I wasted no time in recognizing the ears sticking straight out from the man's head-- definitely related to my Paw. The man was Paw's brother and his wife was there as well. It was late though, and everyone was showering and getting into their pajamas. People seemed to be gathering in the master bedroom, which was a pretty weird concept to me--socializing in my parents bedroom, so I retreated to my room. But soon, Meh came and got me. I joined my sisters, Meh, and my aunt in the big bedroom. The men were elsewhere. So the five of us hung aournd on the bed and mattresses, watching a Thai soap opera, attempting to communicate, and giggling like crazy. Slumber Party! And so much fun... When it came time to go to sleep, I noticed that the visiting Aunt and Uncle were not going to use the spare bedroom next to mine. Instead, a thick blanket was laid out on the floor in the big bedroom, next to my sisters' mattresses which are on the floor next to the big bed. I guess that's culture for you.

The next day, we had big plans. We were going to drive to Lampang, a province about an hour away from Chiang Mai, to see...family, of course! So in the morning we packed up the pick-up truck with plenty of pillows and snacks to make the long journey, and piled in (including Grandma). The drive was fun and we arrived before I knew it. We pulled up into the driveway of a house with alot of people gathered around the large front porch. After waiing and greeting everyone in sight-- I learned what was going on. This house, the one next to it, the one behind it, AND the one behind it but kitty-corner were all occupied by family (a common occurrence in Thailand). Apparently my Grandma is one of 7 children, and 3 of them live there in Lampang. Also, her mother lives there! I was told she was only 83 years old and she looks very well. I even wached as she hopped on the back of a motorcycle, side-saddle, and drove off with my Meh. Anyways, there were alot of poeple hanging around and I didn't always know the relationship of everyone. But it was really great to see my Grandma so happy. You could tell she loved being around her siblings and family. It's great that my family lives relatively close, since they are able to make this trip 2 or 3 times a month. No one knew English very well but Meh spent some time fascilitating and translating some basic conversation. And often I would hear my Grandma proclaim to everyone except me, "Pi Julie yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah." Which was always followed by a huge explosion of laughter. I don't think they use pronouns all that much here, so I can always tell when they are talking about (or laughing at) me, but rarely understand what is actually being said. I also spent some time with Fai playing with the giant chickens, bunnies, and dogs in the backyard. One of the family's houses had a "restaurant" out front, which is where Meh prepared our lunch.

Then, in the afternoon, Paw, Meh, my sisters and I went to an Elephant show! There is an Elephant Conservation Center only a few minutes away. The place has a ton of land, so when we arrived he hopped on a little shuttle that took us to where the elephants were bathing in a pond. After, we moved to the show grounds and watched as the elephants showed off their tricks. They kicked, pulled, and stacked logs. They played some musical instruments. They took bows and placed hats on poeples' heads. And they even painted pictures. The handlers would dip the paintbrush and stick it in three of the elephants' trunks and then the elephants produced immpressive pictures of trees, of flowers, and of an elephant. They are pretty funny animals and you definitely catch yourself wondering if they might actually know what is going on-- they seem very intelligent.

Anyways, it was a fun weekend and I got to learn alot about my family. I'm so thankful that they are so willing to share their lives with me and to welcome me into their family. This past week also brought about many adventures, but I do not have time to write about them now. So I will try to get that up when I can!

I Ate a BUG

Yes, you read that right. But don't get too excited, I'm certain it is only the first of many. Nevertheless, it was the first and therefore noteworthy.

My entire family picked me up from school the other day and before going home we took a detour to Chiang Mai University. It's a pretty big, and apparently a pretty good, university right in the city. My Meh studied there, and so was excited to show it to me. We drove around the campus, weaving in and out of the motorcycles (the University students' vehicle of choice). The campus is really gorgeous. They have some old buildings in traditional Thai architecture, they have some new modern buildings, and everything in between. While there is no unifying style, all of the buildings were nestled amongst towering tropical trees and placed between gently rolling hills. On one of these hillsides, we watched a group of students sliding down the slope atop makeshift 'sleds' made from TV, pizza, and other cardboard boxes. College kids...

Anyways, we pulled over at the side of this beautiful lake. We were just gathered around the bed of the pickup admiring the landscape when my family decided to show me what they had purchased at the market-- which consisted of a large bag of large bugs. Large, creeping, crawling, ALIVE bugs. I started to panic thinking they would make me pop one in right then and there. But no worries, we'll just go home and fry 'em up for later. That night, I was bringing my dinner dishes back into the kitchen and found my grandma hard at work. She was drowning the bugs in water, then picking off the wings and pulling some of the insides out. It actually made me feel better that there was some preparation and care going into these poor guys.

Then, the next day, I returned from school to find the bugs fried and ready to go. They are around an inch long and maybe the width of an almond-- a serious critter in my book. My sisters dug right in. This species is a traditional food in Northern Thailand but only available seasonally. I watched as they picked off the legs and threw them into their mouths. I knew I couldn't delay the inevitable--I had to try it. So Fern prepared one for me and handed it over. I tried not to think about it too much and just popped it in. I chewed it up and managed to swallow it with only a small shudder. I was a bit surprised when I hit a juicy pocket, but even more surprised when I realized... it didn't taste bad. I mean, it was no molten chocolate cake, but it was just mostly crispy and salty. I even ate a second one. Plus, my family mentioned multiple times that Mae Hong Song has LOTS of bugs, which is one of the areas we will be spending three weeks at. So maybe by the end, I'll be laughing at my resistance to eating creepy crawlers, who knows?

Introduction to the Rainforest

First, I need to apologize for my lack of pictures. Unfortunately, the whole computer situation here is not so good and I honestly don't know when I will be able to upload some pictures. So I'll try to figure out a way, but no promises. I am taking them, though, and will be more than happy to share at some point! But to the good stuff...

Finally, my first look into the true natural beauty of Thailand. This past weekend, ISDSI took us on a retreat to Mok-Fah National Park. It is only about an hour outside of Chiang Mai, but allowed us to get a glimpse of the vast wilderness we will be trekking through later on in the semester. Some of the weekend was dedicated to a few crash courses on wilderness first aid, some time was set aside for group activities, but much of the weekend was reserved for rest and relaxation.

One morning, some local guides took us on a hike through the rainforest, which was fantastic because the guides would stop us every ten minutes or so to share their knowledge of the area. We tried a little nibble of an edible vine, we identified a poisonous tree, we saw how nearby villagers come to illegally harvest bamboo shoots, we learned how to determine if a mushroom is edible or not, we discovered all of the usable parts of a banana tree, and we slid down some steep muddy slopes in the process. It made me really excited to get out to the villages and witness how the villagers live off of the land.

The namesake of the park is an absolutely breathtaking waterfall. Following a trail alongside a river, about 10 minutes from our quaint bungalows, the stunning feature suddenly emerges out of the forest: 50 feet of vertical rock carved out from the landscape with columns of water falling down from over its edge and then surrounded by masses of green. The bottom of the fall forms this great pool which then flows down into the rocky river below. So immediately, I dropped my backpack, hopped in, and swam back behind the waterfall. Leaning against the slippery rock face, I looked out at the perpetually flowing curtain in front of me. I looked up to see the blur of rushing water, surrounded by solitary drops that ricocheted off of the wall. The roaring thunder of the water drowned out any other sound. And I found myself in an interesting dichotomy: witnessing the power of nature was both extremely exhilarating yet at the same time also blissfully serene.

Would you like 3 or 4 Chili Peppers in Your Salad?

The other day, instead of Thai Language class, we... cooked! We were divided into gruops and sent to a local market with a shopping list. Imagine a group of American students, attempting to navigate the narrow aisles of a market, surrounded by local Thais, clutching a list of ingredients that we can't even read, and using the few Thai words that we know in what I'm sure are ridiculous accents. Quite the sight. But we were succesful and headed back to school. Then, each group worked with an Ajaan (professor) to make a traditional Thai dish.

I made Som-Dtam, or papaya salad. The base of the salad is shredded, unripe papaya-- which is nearly white and very firm rather than the juicy deep orange/red of a ripe papaya. The dish is very easy to make. All you need is a large mortar and pestle and some muscle. Grudually you pound together some garlic, chili peppers, string beans, palm sugar, the shredded papaya, lime, tomato, fish sauce, and dried shrimp. And as a finishing touch, sprinkle some roasted peanuts on top. Yummy! But beware, because those chilis are SPICY. I've had the dish many times since I've been here and really like it. Although once while at my neighbors house, we ate some that she had made. I took one bite and my mouth was on fire for the next half hour. My Meh and my neighbor were just chowing down, only taking breaths to wipe their running noses or take deep breaths through the sides of their mouths. These people are hard-core!

The other groups made: eggs that were boiled and then fried with tamarin sauce and garlic stuff on top, spring rolls, a pork and noodle dish, and a ground pork dish with lots of cilantro and other herbs. So we got to eat it all for lunch. It was DELICIOUS! Everything was sooo good. I'm hoping I can find these ingredients back in the states so I can make them at home! It was really fun to learn to cook with traditional Thai methods. Plus, I can't complain about missing a day of Thai class...

Caves, Temples, and Gardens... Oh My!

Well I just spent another fabulous weekend in Chiang Mai, and have much to tell!

Instead of class on Friday, we spent the day caving and rock climbing. Yes, I am recieving college credit for this. Much of Thailand's natural landscape is characterized by limestone, which results in elaborate caves and stunning towers. Some of the caves that we saw had wide open entryways, others required a bit of crouching and crawling to enter. Some were only a single room, others were connected to a much larger system. After entering into one cave, we climbed up a small ledge to reveal an enormous additional room. The best way I can think to describe it is like a giant well. Where we were, there was about 35 meters to the bottom and another 35 meters to the top, plus it was about 20 meters across to the other side. They had set up a rope system, similar to a zipline, across those 20 meters. So, one by one, they hooked up our harnesses to this line. It was level, so you had to pull yourself across, but that meant you could stop in the middle and simply float while admiring the beauty of the cave. It was littered with stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone. Once you reached the other side, someone was there to switch your harness onto the rappel system and, down you go! After a lunch of fried rice with vegetables and chicken, we then headed out to some rock faces to do some climbing. As the first wave of people were ascending the routes, it began to rain. And by rain, I mean RAIN. So we grabbed our stuff and headed back up the trail to the cave we had rappeled in earlier, getting incredibly wet and muddy in the process. So we spent the rest of the afternoon climbing the routes inside the cave. It felt great to be outside all day. But I think my family thought I was crazy when they saw my scraped up legs, dirty clothes, and mud-caked shoes (which my Grandma later showed me how to clean with a toothbrush--they look like new!).

On Saturday, I spent the day relaxing, reading, and sleeping. But then in the evening I went with my Meh (mom) and sister to one of Chiang Mai's Walking Street Markets. Every Saturday, they close this particular street to cars and then fill it with vendors selling everything from food to clothes, woodworkings to tapestries, jewelry to music. There is just a ton of local crafts, handmade goods, and some touristy souvenirs as well. It's so beautiful! I'm definitely going to need all of that extra room that I left in my suitcases...

Then on Sunday, we had quite the day! My family took me, as well as a fellow ISDSI student and her host sister (who is best friends with my host sister) to Doi Suthep. Doi, in Thai, means mountain-- although they really are hills compared to the Rockies. This particular mountain just outside of Chiang Mai houses an incredible temple. Once you drive up the switchbacked road, you must climb some 150 steps up to the Wat (temple). Once there, you are embraced in a sea of Gold. Once again, only pictures can do it justice. We walked around the whole area-- ringing every bell in the long rows for good luck, waiing to the monk monuments, admiring the flowers, recieving a blessing from a Monk, and for me at least, learning about the different Buddhist traditions. I have always been really intrigued by Buddhism and so to be so immersed in Buddhist culture is something that I am particularly enjoying and grateful for.

Eventually we left to continue further up on the road we had come to a small village. It was a bit weird because this was an obviously poor village but had adapted to rely on the tourists that come through this area. The narrow road that winds up through the village was lined with shops selling local handicrafts. Again, their stuff was very beautiful, although I feel like it is too early for me think about souvenir shopping. We also paid a small fee to see their beautiful gardens. Apparently, the area used to grow opium exclusively. Now, however, there is only a little left and the rest was transformed into a flower garden.

After waiting out an intense rain storm, we left the village and headed back down the road to Phuping Palace, the five of us girls bouncing along in the bed of my Paw's (dad's) pickup. This is one of 3 or 4 royal palaces in Thailand, which the King and Queen stay in when they are in Chiang Mai. Otherwise, the grounds are open to the public. We got there with only a half hour till it closed so we just made a quick lap around. If I thought the village's garden was beautiful, it had nothing on the Palace grounds. There were roses of every color the size of a cantaloup, leaves the size of a pillow case, countless varities of tropical flowers, slithering vines, and trickling streams. And supposedly the garden isn't even in full bloom until December.

So that basically sums up my weekend. Back to the grind of outdoor classes, hammocks, home cooked food, and exploring an exciting city...

I Have Arrived!

So, I've been in Thailand for almost a week, and this is the first time I've gotten a chance to sit and write something here. I feel like I could write for hours-- I have already seen and done so much! Where to start...? I guess I'll use this post to try to give you an idea of the environment that I am living in.

First: My host family. They are AMAZING. My Mom and Dad are so tiny, adorable, and excited. My Dad is always walking around with the goofiest smile on his face, while my Mom tries so hard to speak with me in English. We are usually succesful, after about 5 tries. Then, I have two little sisters. Feun is 12 and Fai is 7. They are both learning English in school, so Feun is extremely helpful in facilatating conversations between me and the rest of the family. Fai can be summed up almost perfectly in one word: monkey. She is constantly running around, singing, dancing, and making mischief. They are always really excited to see me-- especially Fai who runs up yelling "Pi Julie! Pi Julie!" It's really fun for me, since I have never had a younger sibling or a sister. One Grandma also lives in the house. She is in a wheelchair because she has neither of her legs, though I am not sure why. And she is SO impressive. She cooks, cleans, and even gardens. She doesn't know any English but is so joyful and always smiling at me. I'm so appreciative because I can tell that they are so excited to have me stay with them. They have never hosted a foreign student before, but are always trying to teach me things, show me things, and take me places. I am convinced that a homestay is the best way to really live in and know a different culture. When else would I get a first hand look at Thai dance lessons? Or eat authentic home cooked Thai food in a family setting? Or be the only foreigner in a sea of Thai people?

Also, the house I am living in is really nice. After to talking to other kids on the program (there are 33 of us), I think I'm kind of living the high life over here. We live in a gated community alongside many foreigners. The house is beautiful and almost bug free. They have western bathrooms-- instead if the traditional bucket showers and squat toilets. My room even has a small balcony with a mountain view! Its been very nice, especially since I know I will be seeing my fair share of rustic accomodations once we get out into the field.

Next: Food. I have decided to stop asking what I am eating because a) I probably won't understand the answer anyways and b) I'm not sure I necessarily want to know what I am eating. I've really liked most of the food-- but not all of it... Last night for dinner there were two whole dead fish lying out on the table. Feun went right for the eyeball while my dad went right for the head. I just had some of the meat which was good so long as you can navigate around the bones. The fruit here is CRAZY! Most of it I have never seen before, so it is really fun to try all the different kinds. I've had rice for about 95% of my meals so far but haven't gotten sick of it yet (it's still early though). I haven't eaten a bug yet, but plenty of my classmates have so I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Then: School. My dad drives me to school every morning because it is on his way from dropping the girls off at their school and his office. Class starts at 8 am and we have 4 hours of INTENSIVE Thai Language. We are split into classes of 5 or 6 and we speak almost no English the entire time. The hardest part about the language is that it is tonal. So if you say the same word but in a different tone, it means something completely different. We just started learning the alphabet-- which is overwhelming because there are well over 50 characters. I love going home and showing my family the Thai that I learned that day because they just light up, clap, and give me the thumbs up, all the while laughing at me. We get one hour for lunch, which always consists of a beautiful buffet of home cooked Thai food. Then, we have a seminar for 2 hours in the afternoon where we learn about culture, politics, history, etc. Usually, either my mom or dad picks me up sometime after school, but I have also learned how to take public transportation. Its quite an adventure involving a couple of pickups all with benches and a cover built into the bed. Tomoorow, though, we have no class since we are going... rock climbing and caving! Not a bad day of school, eh?

There's also: The city. Chiang Mai is obviously a very old city. But what is really cool is that there is a moat that makes a square around the original old center of the city. It's still intact, as are parts of the original city walls. I don't really know how else to describe it-- pictures would do it much more justice. It's really great, although I do wish it were a bit more pedestrian friendly. Between the bajillion motorcylces and inconsequential road markings or traffic rules, it can be a bit nerve racking to walk certain places. Speaking of motorcycles, they make up about half of the vehicles on the roads. It's almost rare to see someone wearing a helmet. And it is quite common to see three people on one bike. One time, I saw a family of four on one motorcycle. The dad was driving, then a toddler sat in between him and the mom, while the mom was carrying a tiny baby in one of those sling things. Yikes! Throughout the city, there are a TON of local markets. I love wandering through them because I recognize almost nothing and it really gives you some good local flavor. Anyways, I'll try to put up some pictures of the city at some point because I know I am not making it sound nearly as exciting as it really is.

And finally: The culture. I feel like culture is one of those things that you are taught about in school, but don't quite understand the relevance until you live in a different one. I always knew that diferent people in different places have different customs, traditions, values, etc. But I was not expecting to come here and have to start from ground zero. I literally did not know how to take a shower, how to eat, how to dress, how to do any of the most basic functions. Yet it is surprisingly refreshing to be so disconnected from anything that I have ever known. It makes everything that I see, do, or hear so exciting. I am also totally fascinated with the intricacies of Thai culture. For example, basically all relationships are very defined in terms of who is the junior and who is the senior. Thats why my sisiters call me 'Pi Julie'. 'Pi' is the respectful term used for any older person, or person of higher status. While 'nong' is the term used for the junior. And a typical, respectful greeting consists of the 'nong' 'wai'ing to the 'pi'. To 'wai' you put your palms together as if praying and bow your head. There are also many Buddhist beliefs that make their way into daily life, such as the holiness of a person's head and the unholiness of a person's feet. My family took me to a couple of the oldest and biggest temples in the middle of Chiang Mai. They are unbelievable beautiful and it is so peaceful to be inside one. You can definitely sense the importance of these sacred places. Plus, you can always see a bunch of monks walking around near a temple. Coming from the states, I always feel like I have spotted some elusive wild animal-- but I know it is just another part of life in Thailand.

There is so much more that I can write! I know this was long and probably not too exciting, but hopefully now you have a better idea of where I am and how I am living. Hopefully my next posts will be more interesting-- I'll try to put some crazy stories, which I'm sure I'll have plenty. But in case you were wondering, I have so far enjoyed every minute of being in Thailand. Hope everything is well back home. And I'll try to check back in soon!