Approaching the Half-way Point

Hello everyone at home!!

I'm getting pretty close to being half-way through my stay in Thailand. The official day is next Wednesday 17th, but who's counting? Just writing now to give you an update on what's going on.

I've just about finished my graduate school applications, with plenty of help from Holly and a deposit into my bank account from Dad. I applied to five schools this year: the University of Washington, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vanderbilt University, Boston College, and the University of South Carolina. U.Washington is my top choice, but I also got accepted and Vandy and BC last year, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. The U. of Wisconsin is one of the top three sociology programs in the country, so it is my long shot school. University of SC is my safety school, but if I had to go there it wouldn't be so bad being close to the beach. If I get in anywhere I'll be starting next fall, and I should be hearing back from these schools at about the time I get back from Thailand. So I'll no sooner get home than have to start thinking about leaving again.

About teaching. I really like teaching, and I think if I am able to go to grad school and become a professor I will like my job. It will probably be cool to teach when the students would actually understand what I'm saying, too. I don't think that I've taught a full 5-day week since I've been here, though. There is always some holiday or celebration or Olympic-type sporting activity that the whole school's involved in. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind having days off. But keeping track of which lessons I've taught to which classes is getting difficult. Sometime either today or tomorrow I'm supposed to have a teacher from Bangkok, associated with Fulbright, come and observe my teaching to make sure I'm doing a decent job. I'm nervous about that, but I plan on being awesome.

Now some shout-outs.

Grandma: I realize you miss me and all that (and I miss you, too), but there's no reason to go getting sick or anything that would put you near a hospital just to try and get me to come home! Just kidding… I'm really glad you're okay. Also, I tried the phone card you sent, but I think it will only work in the US.
Holly: Thanks for getting all of my school stuff together. You're the best.
Dad: Thanks for the money. Tell Alex "hi" for me. And sometime you gotta stop working a million hours a week. If you ever do let me know and we'll try to skype.
Mom: Good to hear about the new pets. Sounds like the house is turning into a zoo! Looking forward to Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner when I get back.
Patrick: You're a computer wizard. Thanks for the DVD player download. It helps out a ton. Sorry that Tech didn't work out and that you have to put up with Marshall again. Do good on finals this semester, though. It will work out in the long run.
Pam: Thanks for the updates. It's good to know what's going on and be in the loop, especially when anyone gets admitted to the hospital.

Thanksgiving and Other Stuff

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote. I've been pretty busy, but that's really no excuse.

So, last week was Thanksgiving, and Fulbright paid to fly us all from our various provinces to Bangkok for dinner. Paige, the other ETA in Chiang Rai, and I made it to Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok just a few hours before the protestors ended up taking the place over. The other major airport, Suvarnabhumi, had already been shut down. I want everyone to know that I was never in any danger. The protestors that took over were giving the other foreigners stranded in the airports sandwiches and stuff. The worst thing that could have happened is I would have to stay in Bangkok and eat a sandwich - nothing near as bad as what the US news stations are surely reporting. Thais are extremely peaceful people and most people are appalled that the situation has gotten this bad. I read on Tuesday that the Prime Minister, with whom the protestors are so unhappy, stepped down. While I'm not totally sure what happens in the government now, I'm sure that things will cool down a bit.

We were treated like kings in Bangkok by the Fulbright program and all of our hosts throughout the weekend. Thanksgiving dinner was hosted by a Fulbright board member, Anne Casper, and her husband. While it doesn't compare with my normal home-cooked meal, the food was great! The spread included turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and pie. I ate a healthy amount of everything but the pie. People managed to finish that off before I even got a chance at it.

Our weekend also included a trip to a Thai cultural center in Bangkok. I learned a little there about traditional Thai arts and recreational practices, which culminated in a show with dancing, fight choreography, and a rousing chorus of "It's a small world."

It was fun getting to hang out with everyone again in Bangkok! I spent a good bit of money over the weekend at the awesome bookstore in Paragon and at various restaurants in the city. Upon arriving back in Chiang Rai (after an 11 hour bus ride through the night) Khun Yai (grandma) handed me the bill for my food so far and it was only 1,300 Baht!! Basically, that's $37 for 5 weeks of dinners, weekend meals, and dress pant washings. In an attempt to be polite and hide my excitement, I told Khun Yai that she must have made a mistake and charged me too little. She explained that she was like my grandma, and I like her child, and that she was taking good care of me. So that made me feel good - in an emotional and financial way...

I feel really taken care of here. It's nice to know that people at home are thinking of me, though all of the worrying isn't necessary. I have great faith in the Fulbright program, that they'd get us shipped out of here quickly if anything crazy went down, but also I have faith in the Thai people in general, that there's little chance of me being in any trouble here.

Week Two in Chiang Rai

Hey everybody!

It's been two weeks in Chiang Rai, so far, and I think I'm finally starting to get settled in. It takes quite a while to get adjusted – longer than I ever thought it would. There are some days that I just get in a bad mood for no reason at all, but all that's finally starting to pass.

I'm not picking up much Thai. There's not much of an opportunity, to tell the truth. Most people at the school speak to me in English. My Thai is pretty bad to begin with, so there's only so far I can go communicating in Thai. I have to say, though, that I can listen and understand Thai far better than I can remember my vocabulary and actually construct sentences myself.

I can't remember if I've already written about this, but my house is pretty great. I have a Western toilet, so no squatting for me. The shower has a water heater, so I don't freeze at all. I am really hooked up, as far as meals and things go, as Khun Yai (my new grandma/landlady) makes me great dinners during the week and all three meals over the weekends. I'm not sure how much this service costs, yet, but it's nice to have. I don't have internet at the house, but the school has a decent connection. If you've been wondering why I'm never on Skype or online, that's why. I teach while everyone back home is asleep, so I don’t have much of a chance to talk. If anyone is interested in talking, I normally have a chance at what would be 5:00am at home. Let me know if you want to try! The worst thing so far about the house is this really annoying peacock that lives on the grounds with me. The bird's favorite spot to perch is on top of my roof or on the banister of my porch. I didn't know this before, but peacocks make god-awful sounds, and this particular peacock makes this sound all night long! When it's on the roof, it sounds like it's sitting in bed with me – so loud!!

I got to eat a really fancy dinner last Friday with the Fulbright Board in Thailand. Luckily for me, they decided to have their board meeting in Chiang Rai this year, so some of them stopped by my school to watch me teach. I went to their really ritzy hotel later on, met Paige, and stuffed myself with tons of food. They had potatoes, which are apparently hard to come by in Thailand, so I went to town. I also made a pretty good dent in the dessert bar – they had a chocolate fountain! Couldn't help myself.

This weekend has been a lazy one for me. Saturday my host teacher came to pick me up at 4:00 for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I have to say that authentic, closer to the source Chinese food is way better than what we have in the US. We also got to walk along a street market that's only open on Saturdays. They had tons of stuff, and while we looked for a traditional Thai shirt for me to wear on the upcoming holiday of Loi Khratong, we never found one big enough. (I'll write about Loi Khratong a little later.) One sweet older teacher from my school, Ajarn Wanpen (Mrs. "Fullmoon"), sells her paintings at this street market, and she was really excited to see me there! She's convinced that I would help her sell more paintings if I sat with her on Saturdays. I'm sure it would be a good time, so maybe before my time's up I'll go back.

I've been trying to use my Sunday to catch up on things – writing in my journal, writing lessons and blog posts, jotting down a few postcard messages to send home. Somehow studying Thai is always the last thing I get to. Seems like that should be a higher priority, doesn't it….

Sawatdee Krab Chiang Rai!!

It's half way through my second full day in Chiang Rai at Mae Lao Wittayakom School and I love it here!! I taught my first class today, a relatively small class of 20 students in Matayom 4/1. This essentially means that they are the equivalent of 10th graders in the states. The "1" refers to their ability level, level 1 being the highest. The students were very smart and seemed very excited to learn. My lesson might have been too easy for them, but they were forced to speak a lot through my games and activities, so perhaps they will be more comfortable speaking English on a daily basis.

Yesterday I had the chance to observe three classes. Two were taught by my host teacher, Ajarn Jao (Jiriporn) and another was taught by a recent graduate of a University in Chiang Rai. Some students are more willing to speak than others, it seems, so I'll probably have my work cut out for me! Nonetheless, I enjoy the challenge. I really want to be the best teacher I can be!

I feel extremely welcome at Mae Lao. All of the faculty and staff have been very inviting and very helpful. I have my very own desk here at the school! And my house is beyond awesome! I feel bad, in a way, for having such a wonderful place when I know the other Fulbrighters have a lot less, but I also feel really good about all of the convenience. The owners of the "resort" I'm staying at have asked me to call them grandma and grandpa - Khun Yai and Khun Dtaa. I find that really comforting. I don't know how I got this lucky, but Khun Yai will be fixing me dinner every evening during the week and all three meals on the weekend!!! Of course, I will be paying her extra, but it's just amazing to me how set up I am here!

Ajarn Jao told me I would be teaching around 21 periods each week, which seems like quite a bunch. It's not really that bad, though. I will see each class only once a week, so one or two lesson plans, depending on which levels I teach, will get me through the week! I figure I will be teaching all of the Matayom levels, the equivalent of 7th through 12th grade. My plan, as a "Conversational English" teacher, is to steadily build a long conversation throughout the classes. So I started today with introducing myself and some simple greetings. I'll build up to expressing feelings and emotions, telling about hobbies and activities, giving directions, etc. If I am asked to give a final exam, it would make sense for me to give an oral exam. Maybe I'll split students into pairs and have them create a long conversation and speak it to me... Who knows! No need to worry about that now.

I'll post pictures of the house and school when I get a chance! Just wanted to let everyone know I'm doing great!

My new address:

Brad Foster
Maelaowittayakom School
Chiangrai - Chiangmai Road
Dongmada Sub-district
Muang District
Chiang Rai
57250
Thailand

I don't know what most of that refers to, but they tell me if you write that, I will be able to get your mail!

Teaching for the First Time

So I've taught four out of five practice classes so far at an all-girls' middle school in Bangkok. Somehow the director of the Fulbright Program managed to persuade a bunch of students from the host school and several surrounding schools to come and listen to me be horrible at teaching. For my sake, I'm glad they came, but I've got to admit that I feel sorry for them...

Thai kids - all of them, it seems - are incredibly shy and extremely reluctant to talk in English in front of their classmates. In Thai culture, it is paramount that one never "lose face" - become angry or embarrass themselves - in front of others. To lose face is to injure your ego for weeks. I guess that's where the reluctance to speak comes from. So...I go to teach for the first time in my life and it is very, very difficult to run a class in which students basically refuse to participate.

But, nonetheless, teaching has been very fun! The first day I did nothing but play games to try and bring the kids out of their shells. Subsequent days I have tried to teach lessons with some amount of substance, but it is difficult, in a few short days, to judge the level at which most of the kids operate and adjust the lessons accordingly. The lessons I have taught, and I assume the lessons most other Fulbrighters are teaching, are way below the levels of the majority of students. But again, it's difficult to judge with students who are reluctant to speak.

I'm learning a lot about what not to do in classes. Here are a few things I've picked up so far:
1. Never give Thai kids a drawing assignment at the beginning of class. They will never finish.
2. Never play a game that will create a drastic gap in groups of friends. They will refuse to separate and you will be left looking stupid.
3. Kids will refuse to volunteer. For anything. Plan accordingly.
4. Thai kids like to compete, so make most everything a competition.
5. Thai kids refuse to volunteer names for their teams. When they do, they are wierd names like "Team Rainbow" or "Team Sunny". This is not an important lesson to learn, but it's entertaining all the same.
6. Learn how to adjust your lesson quickly and efficiently. I haven't really learned how to do this, I just know that I need to...
7. I need more practice......

So, with that in mind, I'm heading up to teach for real in Chiang Rai next Monday. I'm worried about teaching multiple classes in one day, and teaching in general. Fulbright probably made a bad investment selecting me to teach!

Tear Gas in Thailand...Getting a Handle on the Current Political Situation

Before I left for Thailand there was a little concern about the current political demonstrations, etc. Resting assured that Fulbright would not walk me into a war zone or anything, I came Bangkok with little reservation. It is the nature of the Thai, it seems, to be peace-loving and easy-going. However, the most recent demonstrations, government house take-overs, tear gassings, and even deaths are deviations from the Thai norm. These sorts of things, to us in the US, are reasons for concern, discussion, and worry. The opposite is true in Thailand. Because opinions differ so widely across the population, little is talked about, and people seem wary to speak to us openly about what’s going on. For those of you at home, here’s what I understand so far.

The current situation is a struggle between (as it’s been described to me) two parties, two different ideas of democracy. The protesting party, Peoples’ Alliance for Democracy (PAD), has beef with the majority party in Parliament, the Peoples’ Power Party (PPP). The PPP, for all intents and purposes, finds its origins in the first democratically elected prime minister to ever serve a full term in office – a businessman turned politician, Thaksin. A populist party, the PPP worked to try and bridge the gap between the Bangkok wealthy and the upcountry poor through a mixture of farming initiatives, healthcare policies, and provincial handouts. As such, it finds much of its support in the Northern and Northwestern Provinces, where most of us Fulbrighters will be stationed to teach. The PAD boasts a constituency of mostly middle- and upper-class urbanites and educated folk who struggle, supposedly, for the good of the monarchy and “Thai-style” democracy.

Some time ago, the leaders of the PAD occupied the Thai equivalent of the White House and kicked out the current PPP Prime Minister. The PAD cites a laundry list of problems against the PPP, including corruption, failure to properly respect the role of the monarchy, human rights abuses, and vote buying. Many, if not all, of these accusations are true. However, as a few lecturers have explained it to me, these crimes are common among all parties and past governments, including PAD governments. The event that seems most infamous is former PM Thaksin’s sale of this telecommunications company to a group in Singapore. This sale came after Thaksin pushed new business laws through Parliament to make the sale possible. Capping it all off is the fact that Thaksin never paid taxes on his sale.

At the real heart of the issue, however, seems to be the classic struggle between the rich and poor, the powerful and underrepresented. Since we can basically call all charges of corruption and vote-buying equal across parties, the main struggle here is evident. Thaksin has become, it seems to me, the scapegoat for the PAD, the object of demonization that all charges from the PAD emanate from. The educated, powerful, and wealthy are growing tired of policies that favor the poor over them, I would guess.

Attempting to persuade popular opinion, the PAD sells propaganda on its 24-hour cable channel, claims to be representing the monarchy, plays up the PPP’s corruption while downplaying their own, and asserts that it’s fighting to traditional Thai democracy. Unfortunately, their protests seem to be undoing democracy rather than building it. The past three PPP prime ministers have been democratically elected, and the PAD is attempting to force out elected officials. PAD plans for future government include a Parliament that is 70% appointed and 30% elected. They seem to assert that the uneducated, provincial poor lack the ability to decide and vote intelligently. Contrary to reason, the poor vote for the candidates that will help them out…

So, despite the popular opinion among those Thais closest to us in the Fulbright group, I think that the PPP is the lesser of two evils right now. Understand, though, that my opinion is something much less than informed. This information is gleaned from some very timidly-shared opinions in I’ve received.

Currently, the PM is the brother-in-law of Thaksin. I think the PPP could have made a wiser decision on whom to nominate as party candidate in the last election, given that Thaksin and all those associated with him are the primary targets of the PAD. Electing Somchai only fuels the fire for the PAD. There seems to be no real end to the conflict in sight. Most likely it will end in a relatively bloodless coup. I say “relatively” because at least two people have already died in the government house occupation and many others have been wounded. Tear gas and other crowd control implements have been used. As foreigners (in Thai, Farang) we are not advised to go near the demonstrations at all. Taxi drivers won’t go near the place.

Advice

Some advice I got from a guy named Tony Zola, an American who’s been living in Thailand/Laos since sometime in the ‘70s:

- Be “jai yen” (literally, cool hearted)
- Be very humble and always reject a compliment
- Be full of praise and give compliments readily
- Be helpful, concerned, caring, genuine, and almost Victorian in your manners
- Don’t speak about contentious issues
- Remember “geng gua” or “proper fear”, meaning show reverence and respect where necessary
- Never refer to yourself in the first person – always use third person
- Use the phrase “kit wah” or “I think that…” less
- Use the phrase “rusak wah” or “I feel that…” more
- Practice speaking Thai at the local market as much as possible
- Practice your excuses for not being able to do something – Thais are great at excuses
- Never speak negatively about Thailand or “Thai-ness”
- Remember that people in high positions have large egos
- Thais have a poor sense of distance when telling you how far away something is
- Remember to lighten up
- Thailand operates within the realm of organized chaos
- Thailand is a matriarchal society masked as a patriarchal one
- Always be evasive, ambiguous, and ambivalent
- Always be the mouse, not the elephant (ie. Keep a low profile)
- Control your body language
- Remember that you’re on stage all day long
- Say thank you (kob cun krup) for everything
- Say excuse me all the time
- Bargain for everything
- Be ready to absorb a lot of bad situations
- Thailand is all about sen (connections)

Finally a few pictures...

Here are a selection of pictures that I've taken so far. I'm not experienced with blogger yet, so these pictures are really out of order. Sorry! I've tried to label as best I can. As soon as I can load pictures en masse, I will.

These first ones are pictures from Wat Pho, a famous Buddhist Temple in Bangkok:


This is the famous reclining Buddha. He's huge - not sure of actual dimensions, but he takes up a huge building by himself.

The reclining Buddha's feet with some intricate artwork.

Swirly toes.

When King Rama I constructed the temple, he had all the statues he could find brought here, so I've got a few of them for you here. I really like all of the different styles...

A lotus flower...
I thought this Chinese-looking guy borrowed a little fashion from Honest Abe...
This is an example of animism and spirit worship. People approach the trees for worship. I've heard that they petition the trees for lucky numbers...

The tall things are called Chedi...not sure what they symbolize yet...

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So, most Thai food is spicy to a point, but this is the spiciest thing I have had. Now I know how to order food with no or little spice - "mai ped!"

They have all kinds of wierd fruit here - this is dragon fruit.

We visited this museum of sorts built in a guy's house...I think I wrote about it in one of the posts. I don't have any real pictures of the art or statues because they didn't allow photography.


There are many big flower pots in Thailand with lotus plants. I think they're cool.

A few pictures of my room. I've got a double room all to myself!

Room comes complete with TV, computer desk, etc.

And a full size toilet...no squatting yet!

My average breakfast. Milk tastes really good here, and the Frosted Flakes are exactly the same.

I got some barbeque chicken off of this guy. The chicken had more fat on it than I thought a chicken had in it's whole body...

A random picture in the JJ Market. Quite a few white people here...

Strike two at the market: Chicken and rice, but the chicken comes complete with tiny bones...

Me...after flying for 25 hours. I'm outside the Bangkok Airport waiting for a ride.

The view from my 8th story window. That's part of the Bangkok skyline and the street below me.

September 26, 2008 – School So Far…

Today marks one week of my education in Thailand. I’ve been learning a broad spectrum, from Thai history and culture to, gulp, language. The directors of the program have pulled out all the stops when it comes to us. We’ve got what must be some of the best professors at Chulalongkorn University and other schools in the Bangkok area.

Thai history is very interesting, marked by only a few dynasties and many years of relative peace. We plan on traveling to an historical site tomorrow called Ayutthaya, one of the first capitals of Thailand. The Ayutthaya period in Thai history seems to be the Golden Age. The motto of the time period being “A fish in every water, rice in every field.” The first king of the period, ruling only a small kingdom, constructed a bell outside his palace. When citizens had any qualm or concern, they could ring the bell and summon the king directly to speak. Visiting the ancient city should be interesting, though, as it was sacked by the Burmese and never rebuilt. After the sacking, the capital of what would become Thailand moved down river, closer to what is now Bangkok, or Kreung Thep.

The culture in Thailand seems to be centered on politeness and respect. Many of the cultural taboos are taboo because they are disrespectful. Touching another’s (especially and elder’s) head, pointing the bottom of your foot at someone, etc. A cultural construct that may prove difficult to navigate is the “wai,” a sort of bow that, again, shows respect. It is used to express thanks and as a greeting, but it’s central nature is a show of respect. The younger will always wai the older, who may or may not wai back. One always wais a monk, but monks will never wai back – the most you’ll get is a nod.

Arts and literature have been heavily influenced by both Chinese and Indian culture, as Thailand formed a melting pot in the middle of the two large nations. The Jim Thompson House, an art museum of sorts in the house of the late Jim Thompson, demonstrates this, housing fine blue and white china as well as statues to Hindu gods like Ganesh. All of this exists alongside pieces of art that are distinctively Thai, like large stone and wooden statues of Buddha. (Jim Thompson was an architect from Princeton who moved to Bangkok and started collecting art in his rather large Thai-style house made by joining six normal Thai houses together. He disappeared one day when he went out for a walk and, to this day, nobody knows what happened. There is now a silk company named after him, as he helped to revive the silk trade in Thailand.)

Interestingly, unlike the West whose history is marked by ideological and religious wars, Thailand is also a melting pot of religions. Currently, Theravadan Buddhism, the most prevalent religion in Thailand, coexists alongside Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Chinese ancestral and animistic religions. In fact, it seems that more often than not several of these religions are mixed. For example, on a visit to Wat Pho, a famous Buddhist Temple in Bangkok, I saw Buddhist monks chanting at the end of the day, the world’s largest reclining Buddha statue, altars to Ganesh (an elephant god of Hinduism that, if I remember correctly, is a god of luck and fortune), spirit houses (which house ancestral spirits), and clumps of trees wrapped with cloths of multiple colors. These trees are said to possess spirits and, among other things, can be approached if one wishes to find a few lucky lottery numbers.

The language is proving to be a challenge. Thai is a tonal language, so the same word spoken with a variety of tones can mean several different and sometimes mutually exclusive things. It’s not unlike how we, in English, change our tone to stress certain words in certain ways to create slightly different meanings. But, the five tones in Thai – low, mid, high, rising, and falling – are not easily distinguishable, much less easy to pronounce. So far this week, we’ve gone through some basic greetings, language we might use at the market, numbers, colors, words for articles of clothing, and a little bit of reading and writing (which I’m not setting high hopes for, what with its 40 some consonants and 20 some vowels!).

The food I’ve had, for the most part, is great. I had a couple bad experiences at JJ market with chicken – at a hawker stand I got some pieces of chicken into which the guy had apparently managed to concentrate all of the fat that comes on a chicken, and at what seemed to be a more legitimate street restaurant where Chike and I had chicken full of tiny bones. I also had one weird experience at a larger mall type place when I ordered some barbeque pork with noodles. First of all, I paid 40 baht for the meal and it was very small, but also, the lady put tons of maple syrup all over the dish as a sauce. I just plain couldn’t eat it. Today, however, has proven to be my worst day for food. Something I ate today, whether it was some mango off the street or some bean-type things I had at lunch, has made me terribly sick. I’ve been nauseas ever since lunch and have had diarrhea like never before. It’s started to calm down after introducing both ends to the toilet multiple times, but I know that I’m dehydrated and weak from throwing up most of the food I’ve eaten today. I had to skip dinner with everyone – they were going to some sort of touristy restaurant and jazz club. The sad thing is I might have to skip out on Ayuttaya tomorrow – major bummer.

Sooo….first post.

I’m writing this on the morning of what will be my second full day here, so I’ll try to do a little back-tracking so everyone at home knows what’s going on.

The plane ride from D.C. to Tokyo was rough – I only stood up once in the 14 hours. A really nice lady from Taiwan sat next to me. It turns out she had gone to WVU for her graduate work – it’s a small world. It wasn’t too difficult finding the gate in Tokyo, and their security was much easier to get through than the airport in Charleston.

Altogether, there are 10 Fulbright ETAs. I first met up with Karen and Chike in Tokyo while waiting on the plane to Bangkok. It took us a little time, but before we were ready to board, we found the other five people scheduled to be on that flight – Audra, Ahna, Paige, J.R. and Caryn. Unfortunately, I sat nowhere near anyone else. Customs in Bangkok proved to be problem free, as was grabbing our baggage and finding where we were supposed to meet. We waited outside the airport for about ½ hour while Siriporn tried to first find us and second get us a ride.

We’re staying in a dorm called Suksitnives. I was lucky to get a room by myself, so I can sleep extra peacefully. Unluckily, I have a room on the 8th floor while everyone else is on the 5th. Zoe is also on the 8th floor, but I have no idea what room she’s in. Since other Thai tenants occupy the rooms, I am hesitant to go around knocking.

I arrived in Thailand at around 11:00pm local time on the 19th, which would be noon back home. (Eastern time zone adds 11 hours to figure the time here in Thailand. Once the clocks fall back, add 12 hours.) After getting to the dorm, I took a shower and went straight to bed at 2:30. The next morning was a mix of unpacking, gazing over my balcony, and a runny nose from turning my air conditioner down to low during the night.

We met Siriporn at 1:00 to get our first two month’s pay (about $1000) and some lunch at what I think was the University cafeteria. I gotta say, this food beats Wesleyan’s any day. I had a full plate of fried rice with chicken and a bottle of water, which cost 25 Baht, or $0.75. Not bad if you ask me. After lunch, the ten of us found a Walmart like store called Lotus to pick up some cereal. Frosted flakes for me – can’t go wrong with Tony the Tiger. We also picked up cell phones for use in Thailand. Rather than signing a contract or anything, you pay as you go here with phone cards. I paid 1,190 Baht for my phone and starting minutes - $36.

By the time I got back to the room yesterday it must have been around 5:00, and I was beat. Jet lag is rough. I woke up a few times from what turned out being one long nap with a terrible headache that, I think, resulted from a little dehydration. I’ll have to be more careful in the future. Unfortunately, the fried rice and chicken was all I ate yesterday because of my nap. I slept straight through any dinner I would have had.

Right now, it’s 8:30am on the 21st. I was up early today at about 6:30, ate some breakfast, and went for a run. I’m not sure exactly what the temperature has been the past couple days, but it’s not as hot as I had expected.

I’m doing well, though. Don’t know when I’ll actually get to post this or talk to anyone. There is wireless internet here at the dorm, but it’s password protected and we can’t get the password until Monday. So, until then, I love you all and will hopefully talk to you soon.

- Brad