Thailand time: Fri morn, 6 am.
In the past week much has happened. Here are some highlights:
Last Friday, our school trip took us to hike up doi suthep, a beatiful mountain with a shiny and magnificent wat at the top. We also passed another wat along the hike, i think it was called wat pa lat. It was my favorite thus far, what with the elephant imagery and the laughing sculptures and everything. The story of Wat doi suthep is pretty incredible too though befcuase supposedly the jedi at the wat holds authentic Buddha relics and they built the wat at that point on the mountain becuase that is where the elephants carrying them died. Along the hike, we did our first set of forest transects as a small preperation fopr our forest course. We would stop and observe everything around us, all scientifically and what not and ask our thai guide questions. Academic hiking is quite a different experience.
This past Sunday has been one of the better days overall in Thailand. We had an early morning in order to fit everything in. The fam and I went to San kampang. First, we went to see the intricate handcrafting that that area is famous for- women making beautiful umbrellas out of bamboo and saa paper. Then, we went to San Kampang hot spring. we boiled eggs in the water, it was so hot! and just when I thought my day was over and i thought we were getting in the car to go home, we drove almost half an horu to get to a gorgeous waterfall called nom tok jed si- “seven color waterfall” The rock undereath it was pumice so we were able to literally walk up and down the four levels of the waterfall! My host mae fell in the water at one point and got soaked and from there on out proceeded to act like the most playful little dek (child) in the falls. she reminds me often to have fun and be sabai and to lvoe what you are doing. Then, she took me to a spring a few hundred meters into the woods that is supposedly holy and had me wash my face and hands with the water as an honor. and then! i went home and talked to my puan sanit who is studying in Ecuador right now, Hannah. What a great day. I even forgot to mention listening to an acoustic cover of beyonce’s “halo” on the way home from the waterfall!
Today is my last full day with my host family as tomorrow, we move into our apartments in town.It has been a tremendous five weeks. Last night was our family celebration adn thank you. We all dressed in traitional Lanna style clothing, Lanna being the northern region of thailand (which we are in). Everyone looked beautiful. Many of us previewed talents, things we learned from our host families from thai culture. The most inspiring acts were possibly a toss up between elaine playing the recorder to a thai song while hoola hooping, or, definitely, Margeaux and Zane singing mai pen rai with mae noi. so good! i have short videos of both i will be trying to post shortly for your entertainment. We were given flower things by the school to hand to our families at the ed, and when i gave mine to Mae Sai, she hugged me over and over and made sure i knew that i could call and visit whenever. In Thailand, family relationships are very strong and important and i know that if I ever needed them, this family would do much for me. I really was welcomed into their home, it is such an interesting and good feeling.
I’ve never eaten pad siew for breakfast here, but on my last full day in thailand, i am about to do just that, and i’ll tell you i’m already a bit nostalgic for this place, the michael jordan poster and all.
