Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

This just in: I'm moving to Klong Klung in the province of Kampaengpat, Thailand in four weeks. It is between 40 and 80 Km from the Burmese border and in the northern part of 'Central' Thailand. It's approximately six hours from Bangkok.  From the information I was provided it's an agricultural community of farmers and small shop owners. I'm very excited to meet my co-teachers. Kru Kate is the one who applied for a volunteer and we'll be teaching primary 4-6 this year. Her good friend Nong teaches in a town only 4 Km away and she's very interested in starting after school programs for the students to help them stay away from drugs and substance abuse. There is also a health clinic 100 meters from the school. The volunteers at the clinic work closely with the school so there is a great opportunity to focus on HIV/AIDS education in the community!
I already feel like this is going to be a good fit and I have not even visited yet!
Also, the next host family has a two year old kid. Thai toddler time for days! Life is good!

** sorry, I was asked to remove the photo for security reasons. 

These are a few of my favorite things...

We're just about to finish week five of pre-service training which puts us just about half way. I'm starting to figure things out which feels nice. So, here is a list of things that I seriously enjoy about my new Thai life:
+ smiling children! they never get old...ever. They might be screaming 'farang' and chasing after my bike, or 20 of them might be grabbing me at the same time just so they can touch my skin but as long as they are smiling and laughing my heart just melts.
+ riding by cows grazing on the side of the road. its a great way to bring me back to the moment of how beautiful my life is. its also comical and much needed after a stressful day.
+ mentally engaged students! teaching is so fun when students want to play along.
+ interested Thai people. today while we were running multiple community members talked to us and were interested in why three foreign girls were running around the school track. I just hope that there are two or three interested parties at my site. making these simple and innocent connections really makes all of the sweating worth it.
+ Som Dom! this is the most delicious meal ever created. learn how to make it by watching this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz0EH5Of63w
+ getting letters and packages. it really makes m already wonderful days ever more amazing!
+ Thai family days. they are very confusing. i never know what's going on but i love it. i get to see a ton of cool things (ancient temples and huge statues of Buddha).
+ The fact that we are really living pretty rural. I mean there are huge lizards, snakes, spiders just by the road. Also, there are little geckos and toads everywhere. I've seen at least fifteen different types of butterflies and more types of birds than I can count. Just before dawn the world comes alive. its an amazing thing to hear!

Nothing but smiling faces and mosquito bites

Once again... sorry I've been so absent with this blog writing thing.
We've been very busy. Everything has been going exceptionally well. Most days start off with a four hour block of language training. I can not believe how quickly we are all picking up the Thai language. Before I left I was pretty terrified about learning the language (it seemed impossible). I'm now at the point where the words and sounds don't sound particularly foreign... they just sound like words. We are also learning the alphabet at the same time and we've gotten to the point in which we can sound out words and read whole sentences! I can't believe we've only been learning for two weeks. So far we can talk about our families, introduce ourselves and ask others about themselves, order food, talk about likes/dislikes with food and activities, ask about languages, talk about things we do well (or don't do well), tell people were we are going and ask about where they have been, and can tell time and ask when things are. I can't wait to learn more and be able to physically write in Thai.
The technical part of training has been a little more challenging. Some of us are unclear about the objectives but we're making it work. Its all part of the process. A bit about my practicum school: I'm co-teaching with the fabulous Erin. We're teaching three sections of M.3 (9th grade) and two sections of M.4 (10th grade). Its been fun so far but our feedback has been that our lessons were too easy...at least the student's liked it (and understood)!

Its been so long and I feel like there are so many stories from each week that I am not sure where to start. So, I think I'll sum up some of the coolest moments so far or the most impressive memories.
- The Thai people. I seriously can not believe how nice everyone is. It is rude not to smile at strangers (such a strange experience after France). Everyone is more than hospitable. I just was informed today that there is a man who's house we ride by on the way to language in the morning and he wants to cook us lunch in the next few weeks just to hep welcome us 'fa-rangs' to the community.
-The Language training. I know I mentioned just above but the methods that the ajaans (teachers) use is seriously impressive. We speak no English for 4 hours and just absorb Thai like our brains are two years old again. Its pretty cool.
- The food. Its been delicious, a little freaky, new and exciting. I've started calling all meal times 'adventure eating' because that is exactly what it is. I never know what is actually in the food that I'm given. I just try it and go from there. So far its been overwhelmingly good.
-  The children. Each day we ride our bikes to a Wat (temple) to learn Thai at a small school there. Each day we are greeted by anywhere from 5-20 smiling faces singing 'Hello! Good Morning!'...it really is the best way to start a day. Plus, they all line up for high-fives as we ride by on our bikes on the way out. Absolutely adorable.
- All in all I just feel very lucky and thankful for the opportunity to be here. I've met some fantastic people and I am sure that will only continue. Everyone is open and ready to meet the strange white foreigner. The Vice-Director at my practicum school already tried to hook me up with her son. He evidently speaks English very well and has white skin just like me... match made in heaven, right? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken-feet soup

Students at the school where we learn Thai.

Monkeys rule the streets of Lop Buri.

The view from my host family's river-side convenience store/ hangout area.

Karissa getting into the moves at a Thai birthday party!

These cows are huge and always just wandering around grazing. 

Our first elephant!

My February resolution is to write my frequently. They say resolutions are more likely to be stuck to if you write them down so, here goes nothing.