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!