The last few days have been very wet. Last week most of my classes were cancelled so it feels like this has been a very long break, I like it. I finally feel like I know my way around Nong Khai. I have been exploring new restaurants and places to eat. I have a little note book with some Thai words in it so I can order food... but still everything that I order tends to be a surprise (even when the menu is in English). We now have a total of 10 volunteers in Nong Khai. Alan (England), Susie (Austria), and Valarie (Germany) came on Thursday. Alan and Susie will be moving to another town tomorrow that is about hour and a half away. Then we had Suzanna (Wyoming, USA) and Karima (Germany) arrive Friday morning. They had been on holiday for the last week traveling around Thailand. Then last night we had Christan (Sweden) come who is the odd one out being a little older than the rest of us(in her 60s). We are split between two dorms. A man on a boat on the MaeKong River - looking at Laos.
Yesterday I spent the morning with Alan and Nina... first Nina and I got facials... it was a funny experience.. not what i am use to in the US... there were lots of weird sounds. I don't know what all they did. We went shopping in the Indo-China market... looked around... had lunch. Then Valarie and Susie joined us on our ride to the Thai Laos Friendship bridge. Rich, from T2T, told us we could walk half way across it...but it turns out that we couldn't. We were able to get close to the water and the bridge to take some pictures. Last night we had a welcome dinner for all the new volunteers... I was included in this even though I have already been here a week. Today is a lazy Sunday. We went out to breakfast at a place called Mut Mee. It is a guess house and I had banana pancakes! Now I am catching up on e-mails. Tonight we have Thai cooking lessons. I don't know what I will do in the middle of today. The last few days have been much cooler because it has been pouring! Seattle is gray and drizzly but here if you are outside for two minutes you will be soaked! It's amazing to listen to. I wake up in the middle of the night because the rain on the roof is so loud.
I think this next week I will be back to teaching at the Vocational School. It really isn't my favorite place. I much rather spend the whole week just teaching the monks. The monks here really want to learn English and are so happy to have you there. They look up words for you the pronounce... they try hard on their worksheets... and even when i feel that i can't explain why something is the way it is in English the monks are just happy that we are there. Whereas in the vocational school the kids just looks at us with blank faces and we play stupid made up games. We'll see how this next weeks goes... who knows... this week maybe cancelled as well.
Buying pineapple at a stand.
I finally feel like I am getting the hang of things... I can get around on my own if i have or want to. It's great having a houseful of people to hang out with. I forget sometimes how much I like being around people, but at the same time I like having my quite personal time. After a good, busy, day looking around I am happy to stay in and not go out drinking. I think I forget these things while i am at home... or that they have just been brought to my attention here because it seems like every night someone wants to go out drinking.
It has been fun getting to know the new people while I am here. Alan and I talked politics yesterday. So far I haven't found anyone who doesn't want Obama to win. It is interesting hearing all the different kinds of English that are being spoken in the dorm... with people from all over Europe everyone sounds different. At times you can hear people speaking in German or Dutch trying to find the word they are looking for in English. This is quite the experience and I love it. Suzanna from Jackson Hole Wyoming when to U of I in Moscow Idaho for a year! We missed each other by a year but we both think that that is crazy!
My experience here is going well now that i have other people here to keep me distracted and that i know my way around. I can't believe that i have been gone for almost two weeks! It feels like so much longer. I love your comments and e-mails, thanks!
I finally feel like I am getting the hang of things... I can get around on my own if i have or want to. It's great having a houseful of people to hang out with. I forget sometimes how much I like being around people, but at the same time I like having my quite personal time. After a good, busy, day looking around I am happy to stay in and not go out drinking. I think I forget these things while i am at home... or that they have just been brought to my attention here because it seems like every night someone wants to go out drinking.
It has been fun getting to know the new people while I am here. Alan and I talked politics yesterday. So far I haven't found anyone who doesn't want Obama to win. It is interesting hearing all the different kinds of English that are being spoken in the dorm... with people from all over Europe everyone sounds different. At times you can hear people speaking in German or Dutch trying to find the word they are looking for in English. This is quite the experience and I love it. Suzanna from Jackson Hole Wyoming when to U of I in Moscow Idaho for a year! We missed each other by a year but we both think that that is crazy!
My experience here is going well now that i have other people here to keep me distracted and that i know my way around. I can't believe that i have been gone for almost two weeks! It feels like so much longer. I love your comments and e-mails, thanks!
Eating lunch with Alan and Nina (not in the picture).
1 comment:
Hi Amy. Keep updating your blog! I enjoy reading it. And I love the photos.
The rainy season seems to have started here. Its cold but not so cold as to be snowing and sticking at the passes. Its dark though. Dark at 5:30. I think this is the best time of year to be away from the PNW.
It sounds like you're doing well. It seems like you've done so much in the past 2 and a half weeks.
Cheers! Judy
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