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!