Saturday was "culture day". We all went to the school and wore our newly acquired pasines (sp?) and danced, sang and did little skits describing American culture. It was pretty awesome. They guys didn't wear pasines, I can't remember what theirs was called, but I can tell you know that every girl was jealous that the guys just got to wear shorts/pants and wrap a piece of cloth around their waist while us girls had to step into a tubular piece of cloth and then wrap it around our waist to make a skirt. I will tell you know that I kept my biking pants on, and I will be eternally grateful for that. My skirt did not want to stay on no matter what I did. I give props to the Thai women and what they can do with these things. The ones that we were given are actually only supposed to be used for showering, but they made an exception for Saturday. You are supposed to wear them to and from the bathroom when you are showering. The only time you are supposed to really wear them in public is if you get it fitted to you. I may get this done if I can figure out how to get them to stay up, because some of the cloth is very beatutiful.
Anyways, during culture day, we all got to show off our awesome Thai dancing skills. We learned a dance that you do with a partner that is supposed to be kind of a love, flirting sort of song. It was pretty funny to see 66 Americans, dressed up, dancing in a circle staring (and laughing) into eachothers eyes in the middle of a school. I wish I had a video to capture this moment so I could share it with everyone that wasn't there.
Yesterday, I woke up and went outside to the kitchen to find my host mom making canoms (sp?). There are various different ones, but these ones were filled with rice held together by coconut and slices of banana. My mom proceeded to have me sit down next to her as she demonstrated how to wrap them in in banana leaves then use these thin pieces of wood (very thin and wet for flexibility) to bind two together. I gotta tell you, I am a master at this now. It may take me 10x longer to put one together, but I think they turned out pretty good. Another PCer, Chris, showed up part way through and was helping out as well. We believe that our families are trying to set us up with one antoher because they seem to find a way to get us to one anothers homes each weekend. This weekend, when we had lunch, I went to put our dishes away only to discover the rest of my family eating their lunch on the front porch; far way from the kitchen. I think they were giving us our "privacy" with only my mom as chaparone. It is kind of funny to see them try to set this up.
I'm not sure at this point if my Thai is improving or not, but I certainly hope so. My goal is to be able to understand my Da (Grandfather) before I leave my homestay. I feel so horrible that I don't understand a thing he says and he tries so hard. I hope he takes me on one of his bike rides sometime so I can see where he goes out to each morning and afternoon. We shall see....but this is a goal of mine.
Its strange, and I can't help it...I actually felt cold this morning....and it was probably 77 degrees or something. I am almost thinking I could wear a long sleeved shirt right now and I would be ok and it is probably in the 80s....does this mean I am aclimating??? I hope not, I don't have that may warm clothes and I wont know what to do....luckily, I did bring my bright orange sweatshirt to my homestay so I can put something on if I need to. I know that my family here thinks its crazy that I am not freezing every day. They will get a kick out of the first time I wear a warmer shirt.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Pictures....
Chris is playing his guitar for a few of us. This is his front yard. It is beautiful. He lives on an organic farm.
Food is BIG here...you will always have plenty of food on the table. And, the fruit is amazing!
This is part of the road that I take to school every day...it is boiling hot, but very pretty.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Fried chicken, geckos, and feet
My host family has discovered that I like fried chicken, and I seem to be having it every night for dinner now. I think they have been experimenting with me to see if I will eat something more than another (i.e. fried chicken vs. intestines) and they chose fried chicken to be the winner for me. Not that I mind; I ask for only nit-noi (alittle) rice and then I get chicken. I also will get fried fish, bananas, candies, a shrimp salad dish, and a veggie salad put in front of me as well (normally after I tell them that I am full). I was wary of the fried fish for the past few nights because the skin is left on and you can see the fins, but I finally sucked it up last night and tried it because my teacher advised me that my mom is well known for her fish. I was pretty amazed. I won't say it is a dish that I want to have every day, but it wasn't bad. I think I can eat it every once in a while. The fact that I liked it got a big smile from my mom, so that made me very happy.
I found my first few geckos in my house this week. One of them resides in my bedroom. They are actually pretty cute. They just climb along the walls, and they are great because they eat mosquito's and I have tons of bits all over my legs...so I say, the more geckos, the better. They are usually only 3-4 inches long.
I wake up each morning with gloriously clean, unswollen feet. Feet that one would be fine showing off. As the day goes on and I put my shoes on and off (you take your shoes off every time you go in a building - except the 7-11 - as a sign of respect), my feet get dirtier and dirtier as I step on the ground. Add in sweat and dust and biking, and you have a perfect storm for gross feet by the end of the day...I promise that they are washed well every evening. Also, because of the sodium in the diet here and the new climate, I tend to have beautiful "kankles" (is that what they are called) every night when I go to bed. I haven't figured out a way to fix that yet, but I am hoping time and patients will pull through for me so I don't have to try to do the impossible and hide my feet.
I am still working on putting pictures together and finding somewhere where I can get wifi for my computer so I can upload some pictures. I now have pics of my host mom, sister, and some of the PC people, but no way to upload them at this point.
Thai life is good. Its very busy with so much to do and see. I can't believe I have already been gone for 3 weeks now. In about another 3 weeks, I get to find out where my site will be located and then 2 weeks after that I get to go visit it for the first time. Each day I learn a little more Thai and I discover more about the government structure.
Anyways, I gotta go...my sister saw me here so I told her I would be right home.
I found my first few geckos in my house this week. One of them resides in my bedroom. They are actually pretty cute. They just climb along the walls, and they are great because they eat mosquito's and I have tons of bits all over my legs...so I say, the more geckos, the better. They are usually only 3-4 inches long.
I wake up each morning with gloriously clean, unswollen feet. Feet that one would be fine showing off. As the day goes on and I put my shoes on and off (you take your shoes off every time you go in a building - except the 7-11 - as a sign of respect), my feet get dirtier and dirtier as I step on the ground. Add in sweat and dust and biking, and you have a perfect storm for gross feet by the end of the day...I promise that they are washed well every evening. Also, because of the sodium in the diet here and the new climate, I tend to have beautiful "kankles" (is that what they are called) every night when I go to bed. I haven't figured out a way to fix that yet, but I am hoping time and patients will pull through for me so I don't have to try to do the impossible and hide my feet.
I am still working on putting pictures together and finding somewhere where I can get wifi for my computer so I can upload some pictures. I now have pics of my host mom, sister, and some of the PC people, but no way to upload them at this point.
Thai life is good. Its very busy with so much to do and see. I can't believe I have already been gone for 3 weeks now. In about another 3 weeks, I get to find out where my site will be located and then 2 weeks after that I get to go visit it for the first time. Each day I learn a little more Thai and I discover more about the government structure.
Anyways, I gotta go...my sister saw me here so I told her I would be right home.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
A day in the life of Me
I always thought that roosters knew when the sun came up, but I am quickly discovering that this is not quite true unless they think that they are in a different time zone. Sometime between 1-2 am each morning, my rooster decides that it is going to be the first time for him to crow that morning. Eventually he does get it right and he crows at about the same time that my alarm goes off. By the time that I get up at 6am, my entire family has probably already been up for an hour or two doing chores and getting ready for the day. I go downstairs, through the house, outside, put on my flip-flops, walk past the cars and through my dad's workshop to reach my kitchen. Each morning my mom points for me to sit down, my dad gets me some warm water and it is time for me to eat. I get Nestle packets of coffee to drink each morning, and my mom serves me a pastry. Every time I get so excited that I might actually get away with a pastry and coffee in the morning, only to discover a bowl of soup, rice, or pourage in front of me 15 minutes later. Of course, I have to eat it and I can't say I am full because my mom looks so happy and excited to feed me yet again. I generally am only eating 2 meals a day now (skipping lunch) because I am getting so much food at home. I think my mom is an amazing woman, but wow, that is a ton of food.
Yesterday we got to go see a ceremony at a local school. The monks were blessing the school for the year and sat in the building cross-legged as all of the people of the Tambon sat outside. Afterward there was a feast (which my mom catered for). It was pretty cool. I have a few pictures of it that I will post later.
Training starts at 8am each morning so I bike to training, either a 5 or 20 min ride (depending on the location for that day). We have school until 5. On our bike rides, we greet EVERY person we pass. If it is an adult we usually greet them in Thai; if it is a child we say "Hello" because they get a kick out of us speaking English. We are on our own for lunch, so normally we find a local restaurant and normally pay between 10-35 baht for lunch before going back for more classes.
When I come home at night, I am quickly advised by my sister, the neighbor or my mom that I need a shower. So, I quickly head up to my room to grab my towel and head off to the bathroom for my bucket shower. The method of showering here definitely conserves a lot more water than in America. My one piece of advice if you ever come to Thailand, is to always check the floor of the bathroom before going in so you don't slip. If someone just took a shower, the floor will be all wet. At my home, there is no separation between the shower and toilet. After my shower, I eat again and do language lessons with the neighbor boy or my sister (who is actually not my sister I discovered). I can now proficiently write my name in Thai. After that, I am told to go "Chill out" and I head off to bed. This is at about 730 or 8pm.
This is when I finally get my alone time. I hang out in my room, copy some lessons for the day, read my kindle, or just fall asleep. It is the quietest part of my day. But, this is my typical day. Amazingly, I actually get cold at night (its probably in the 70s), and I get very hot in the day, which is sad since it is the winter. My family jokes every morning when I come out in a t-shirt because they are all freezing in this weather.
Thailand is so gorgeous. I am trying to take a lot of pictures and I am hoping to have a photo journal entry in my blog whenever I can get all the pictures uploaded so I can show everyone. I am hoping to get a few family photos tomorrow as well so I can show everyone in the states (America, as it is said here) what the people that I live with look like.
Its so funny how language can be confused out here. Today, a group of us were going to the market (i.e. 7-11) and Chris, a PCer, went home to tell his mom. When he came back his comment was "Well, I either told her I was going with 5 people, or that I would be back at 5pm". I finish all of my sentences with the work 'ka', but depending on how I say it, it can mean something else. I tried to tell my mom that I wanted her to show me how to do laundry the other day when I came home from training. Well, I came home that night and all of my clothes, underwear and all, were neatly folded on my bed waiting for me. I believe that same thing may be happening today because the last time I went into my room, my clothes weren't there and my mom wasn't home so I couldn't ask.
Anyways, I'm hanging at an Internet cafe, and I believe my time is almost up. Hopefully, I can get on again in the near future and let you know what tomorrow brings with a day with my host family.
Yesterday we got to go see a ceremony at a local school. The monks were blessing the school for the year and sat in the building cross-legged as all of the people of the Tambon sat outside. Afterward there was a feast (which my mom catered for). It was pretty cool. I have a few pictures of it that I will post later.
Training starts at 8am each morning so I bike to training, either a 5 or 20 min ride (depending on the location for that day). We have school until 5. On our bike rides, we greet EVERY person we pass. If it is an adult we usually greet them in Thai; if it is a child we say "Hello" because they get a kick out of us speaking English. We are on our own for lunch, so normally we find a local restaurant and normally pay between 10-35 baht for lunch before going back for more classes.
When I come home at night, I am quickly advised by my sister, the neighbor or my mom that I need a shower. So, I quickly head up to my room to grab my towel and head off to the bathroom for my bucket shower. The method of showering here definitely conserves a lot more water than in America. My one piece of advice if you ever come to Thailand, is to always check the floor of the bathroom before going in so you don't slip. If someone just took a shower, the floor will be all wet. At my home, there is no separation between the shower and toilet. After my shower, I eat again and do language lessons with the neighbor boy or my sister (who is actually not my sister I discovered). I can now proficiently write my name in Thai. After that, I am told to go "Chill out" and I head off to bed. This is at about 730 or 8pm.
This is when I finally get my alone time. I hang out in my room, copy some lessons for the day, read my kindle, or just fall asleep. It is the quietest part of my day. But, this is my typical day. Amazingly, I actually get cold at night (its probably in the 70s), and I get very hot in the day, which is sad since it is the winter. My family jokes every morning when I come out in a t-shirt because they are all freezing in this weather.
Thailand is so gorgeous. I am trying to take a lot of pictures and I am hoping to have a photo journal entry in my blog whenever I can get all the pictures uploaded so I can show everyone. I am hoping to get a few family photos tomorrow as well so I can show everyone in the states (America, as it is said here) what the people that I live with look like.
Its so funny how language can be confused out here. Today, a group of us were going to the market (i.e. 7-11) and Chris, a PCer, went home to tell his mom. When he came back his comment was "Well, I either told her I was going with 5 people, or that I would be back at 5pm". I finish all of my sentences with the work 'ka', but depending on how I say it, it can mean something else. I tried to tell my mom that I wanted her to show me how to do laundry the other day when I came home from training. Well, I came home that night and all of my clothes, underwear and all, were neatly folded on my bed waiting for me. I believe that same thing may be happening today because the last time I went into my room, my clothes weren't there and my mom wasn't home so I couldn't ask.
Anyways, I'm hanging at an Internet cafe, and I believe my time is almost up. Hopefully, I can get on again in the near future and let you know what tomorrow brings with a day with my host family.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Biking through the Tambon
I live in a Tambon (Tambon Bon Heep) that I bike through every day to my classes. Depending on which road I choose to ride on I get a VERY different experience. I have a small cement path that runs by the canal where I can see fishing lines and nets thrown in the water. It is very serene and beautiful. I as I bike down the road, I acknowledge the locals with "Sa-wa-di-ka" and a nod of my head. The elders smile back at me and the children giggle at me.
When you hit a major road, I have to remember to bike on the left side and avoid all vehicles bigger than me (which is all of them). It can get quite exciting trying to cross the road to get to the right side when there is a lot of traffic. If you have ever played the Frogger game, it is similar to that. Don't worry, I am pretty safe and all the Thai people are very nice. The dust that comes off the road can be immense in the afternoon. Many of my fellow PCers wear handkerchiefs over their faces coming home. It takes me about 20 minutes each way to and from school every day.
We started language classes again a couple of days ago. My group actually meets at an SAO office directly across the street from my home. So far I can count up to 9999 and tell you where I am from and a few different types of food....This accounts for me learning more in 4 days than I did in 2 years of Spanish....go PC and my Thai teacher!!!
I am trying to fit a lot into a short post...I am only on my lunch break and I have class in 20 min and I still have to change out of my biking clothes.
I have been eating some strange things lately...I have had intestine, liver, dried fish, and some unknown squishing animal products. I choose to not always know what I am eating. It has been a very interesting experience. Tomorrow, I am actually going to be helping my mom cook a meal for the Tambon. I think it is really for 10 monks and the village gets to eat what the monks choose to leave behind. I believe my teacher said that once a year the monks bless the school by my house. I will write more later about it. I have an assignment to talk to people and meet them there.
Anyways, got to go know. I'll try to find some interesting things to write about and take more pictures so you can see what Thailand looks like.
When you hit a major road, I have to remember to bike on the left side and avoid all vehicles bigger than me (which is all of them). It can get quite exciting trying to cross the road to get to the right side when there is a lot of traffic. If you have ever played the Frogger game, it is similar to that. Don't worry, I am pretty safe and all the Thai people are very nice. The dust that comes off the road can be immense in the afternoon. Many of my fellow PCers wear handkerchiefs over their faces coming home. It takes me about 20 minutes each way to and from school every day.
We started language classes again a couple of days ago. My group actually meets at an SAO office directly across the street from my home. So far I can count up to 9999 and tell you where I am from and a few different types of food....This accounts for me learning more in 4 days than I did in 2 years of Spanish....go PC and my Thai teacher!!!
I am trying to fit a lot into a short post...I am only on my lunch break and I have class in 20 min and I still have to change out of my biking clothes.
I have been eating some strange things lately...I have had intestine, liver, dried fish, and some unknown squishing animal products. I choose to not always know what I am eating. It has been a very interesting experience. Tomorrow, I am actually going to be helping my mom cook a meal for the Tambon. I think it is really for 10 monks and the village gets to eat what the monks choose to leave behind. I believe my teacher said that once a year the monks bless the school by my house. I will write more later about it. I have an assignment to talk to people and meet them there.
Anyways, got to go know. I'll try to find some interesting things to write about and take more pictures so you can see what Thailand looks like.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Dancing, Eating, and More
Looks like I have access to Internet much sooner than I thought that I would. I am borrowing the Internet off of one of my neighbors who lives down the road. I have to admit, when I moved in with my host family yesterday I was a little apprehensive about it. I couldn't understand a thing that they said (and really, I still can't) and I felt like I wasn't answering the questions correctly. I still feel that way a little bit, but I am feeling slightly better about it. I would like an hour to myself, chilling outside to read a book, but I don't know if I am going to get that in the near future.
This morning, I was woken up a few times by some beautiful music starting at about 430 am...the roosters didn't seem to know when the sun came up either because they started to crow at about 1 am. But, it was ok, because I had a comfortable bed, good smelling air, and I am in Thailand. I got to experience some sort of ritual today. It may have been ordaining a monk but I am not sure. I was dancing through the streets with women and then I was circling a temple (over and over) still dancing. At 9am I had my first taste of Thai beer (not bad). Then the new monk threw money at the crowd. It was very interesting to see. I wish I had more time to tell about it.
This afternoon, me and some PC peeps went house to house trying to find each other. It was a good little break to get away from the house. I don't get much alone time. I am having trouble eating. More than 5 bites make me feel kind of sick. I don't know how to convey this to my host family now, so I feel bad not eating all of the food in front of me. I hope it is ok. I think it is just nerves that is preventing me from eating, because I feel ok otherwise.
My English to Thai dictionary is my Bible and I carry it everywhere. I still have many barriers I cannot cross but things are getting better.
Got to go, don't want to use the neighbors Internet too long.
This morning, I was woken up a few times by some beautiful music starting at about 430 am...the roosters didn't seem to know when the sun came up either because they started to crow at about 1 am. But, it was ok, because I had a comfortable bed, good smelling air, and I am in Thailand. I got to experience some sort of ritual today. It may have been ordaining a monk but I am not sure. I was dancing through the streets with women and then I was circling a temple (over and over) still dancing. At 9am I had my first taste of Thai beer (not bad). Then the new monk threw money at the crowd. It was very interesting to see. I wish I had more time to tell about it.
This afternoon, me and some PC peeps went house to house trying to find each other. It was a good little break to get away from the house. I don't get much alone time. I am having trouble eating. More than 5 bites make me feel kind of sick. I don't know how to convey this to my host family now, so I feel bad not eating all of the food in front of me. I hope it is ok. I think it is just nerves that is preventing me from eating, because I feel ok otherwise.
My English to Thai dictionary is my Bible and I carry it everywhere. I still have many barriers I cannot cross but things are getting better.
Got to go, don't want to use the neighbors Internet too long.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Exhausted
I have been in Thailand for less than 48 hours still and I feel like I have been here for a week or two. We are on the go all the time and there is so much to do and see that it is just a sensory overload. But, the country is beautiful and the people are amazing. But, before we get too far into it, let me show you the situation at the JFK airport just a few short days ago:
We completely took over the baggage claim in the airport from about 730 am until probably 2-3pm. Luckily, their baggage claim is all broken up, into sections so we weren't blocking off the entire airport. There were card games going on, and one of my fellow PCer's pulled out his guitar and played us some music. It was definitely an experience (one I hope to not repeat too often).
Anyways, back on track...our first day of training was great. Our trainers are almost all from Thailand and it is said that we have the best language training in Peace Corps so I am hoping that is going to help me since I am horribly inept at languages. The trainers are hilarious, so I know that we will be having some fun for the next 10 weeks. For the most part, we have only done very basic training; expectations, general health, rabies shot, some paper work, a little language, and...bike training!!! I will tell you now, I love the fact that I bought a gel cushion for my bike, but wow, we took a 10K bike ride today, and I can definitely still feel it. We received our bikes yesterday. The picture below shows a picture of the inside of the bus we took to bike training. Notice the speakers on the wall. I have discovered that karaoke is VERY popular in Thailand; even on buses.
And, this is the outside of the bus...
Driving is definitely very different here than in the US. You drive (or ride a bike) on the left side of the road and there are many more motorcycles weaving through traffic. First tip I learned: bigger vehicles have the right of way.
And, that is my new bike. Yes, I did pay 100 baht (a little over $3) for a basket. Of course you can see the fabulous rain guards and my mandatory (and much needed) helmet. Isn't it pretty? Today, I successfully removed both tires and learned to change a flat (I am hoping, and crossing my fingers that I never need to use that new skill).
So, as I said, today we took a bike ride. And, I of course, have come back to the hotel with multiple bruises on my arm and leg. Not because I fell mind you, but apparently, I can take sharper corners than I thought, and I ran my left arm and leg into some wood crates..Ouch, (or in Thai: Oy!) But, other than that magnificent incident, I think I did pretty well. I think it was about a chilling 83 degrees during our bike ride. It was definitely nice with a small breeze and we were able to see more of the village. Tomorrow, we are going on a longer bike ride. We will see if my "saddle" will be able to make it.
Today I purchased my cell phone. My Verizon Wireless peeps would shake there head at me. I purchased the cheapest phone, with the least perks. It cost about $29US. My phone is a prepaid phone, so that will take some getting used to. But, its small and it texts and makes phone calls...that is what counts.
On Saturday, we move in with our homestay family. I am excited, but very nervous about this. I don't know anything about them, or the ages of the individuals living there. It will be interesting to see the what food they prepare, what they do on an every day basis, and what is expected of me. I guess I will find out soon.
Tomorrow....learning to use squat toilets, meeting the royal governor, my first official language class, and a bike ride. Then it is time to re-arrange my bags once again, so one of them can be put in storage for 10 weeks. Eek!
Anyways, back on track...our first day of training was great. Our trainers are almost all from Thailand and it is said that we have the best language training in Peace Corps so I am hoping that is going to help me since I am horribly inept at languages. The trainers are hilarious, so I know that we will be having some fun for the next 10 weeks. For the most part, we have only done very basic training; expectations, general health, rabies shot, some paper work, a little language, and...bike training!!! I will tell you now, I love the fact that I bought a gel cushion for my bike, but wow, we took a 10K bike ride today, and I can definitely still feel it. We received our bikes yesterday. The picture below shows a picture of the inside of the bus we took to bike training. Notice the speakers on the wall. I have discovered that karaoke is VERY popular in Thailand; even on buses.
And, this is the outside of the bus...
Driving is definitely very different here than in the US. You drive (or ride a bike) on the left side of the road and there are many more motorcycles weaving through traffic. First tip I learned: bigger vehicles have the right of way.
So, as I said, today we took a bike ride. And, I of course, have come back to the hotel with multiple bruises on my arm and leg. Not because I fell mind you, but apparently, I can take sharper corners than I thought, and I ran my left arm and leg into some wood crates..Ouch, (or in Thai: Oy!) But, other than that magnificent incident, I think I did pretty well. I think it was about a chilling 83 degrees during our bike ride. It was definitely nice with a small breeze and we were able to see more of the village. Tomorrow, we are going on a longer bike ride. We will see if my "saddle" will be able to make it.
Today I purchased my cell phone. My Verizon Wireless peeps would shake there head at me. I purchased the cheapest phone, with the least perks. It cost about $29US. My phone is a prepaid phone, so that will take some getting used to. But, its small and it texts and makes phone calls...that is what counts.
On Saturday, we move in with our homestay family. I am excited, but very nervous about this. I don't know anything about them, or the ages of the individuals living there. It will be interesting to see the what food they prepare, what they do on an every day basis, and what is expected of me. I guess I will find out soon.
Tomorrow....learning to use squat toilets, meeting the royal governor, my first official language class, and a bike ride. Then it is time to re-arrange my bags once again, so one of them can be put in storage for 10 weeks. Eek!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
One final blog before I depart
It has been a crazy few days. Tomorrow morning I leave my hotel at 430am to head to JFK to catch my plane to Thailand via Tokyo. I have met so many amazing people in my PC group, and I know that we are going to have a blast for the next 2 years. It is a relief to have the process of getting to this point finally over and getting the journey started. I feel like for the first time in months I can finally take a deep breath and relax. I know that I have a TON of work ahead of me, but I also know that it is worth it. We will be training 6 days a week for the next 10 weeks and living with a host family for 8.5 of those weeks. I know that I will be frustrated, lonely, and maybe even angry at times, but believe that the excitement, friendship, and culture are going to win me over and make this an experience that I will love and never forget.
The one thing that I did realize today, is that for the first time I am with people that I don't have to explain myself to. There are no weird looks, or odd questions about why I would chose to join Peace Corps or how I could possibly want to do something where I don't get paid. I know that my friends and family understand to some extent, but it is nice to be sitting with 67 other people who share the same mindset as me when it comes to volunteering.
I honestly don't have a lot to say, I just really wanted to get one last blog in until I went "off the air" for a couple of weeks. I won't have access to the Internet for a little while and will be so involved in training I will be to exhausted to attempt to write anything anyway. Thank you so much for reading this, and hopefully I will have more interesting information later while throwing in a few witty jokes.
Talk to you from Thailand later!!!!
The one thing that I did realize today, is that for the first time I am with people that I don't have to explain myself to. There are no weird looks, or odd questions about why I would chose to join Peace Corps or how I could possibly want to do something where I don't get paid. I know that my friends and family understand to some extent, but it is nice to be sitting with 67 other people who share the same mindset as me when it comes to volunteering.
I honestly don't have a lot to say, I just really wanted to get one last blog in until I went "off the air" for a couple of weeks. I won't have access to the Internet for a little while and will be so involved in training I will be to exhausted to attempt to write anything anyway. Thank you so much for reading this, and hopefully I will have more interesting information later while throwing in a few witty jokes.
Talk to you from Thailand later!!!!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
In Philly!!!...and it is COLD
Well, it has finally begun. After my 3-4 hour "cat nap" last night, it was time to get ready to finally leave for the airport. Of course, the first thing that I had to do was kick my sister's boyfriend out of the bathroom because he was in there FOREVER, and I considered me showering a very important thing to do to start out this trip right (Sorry Justin). Luckily, my good-byes were not full of tears and crying, but the emotion and understanding of missing one another was there. It was strange being dropped off knowing that Denise was going to be the last person, family and friends, that I may possibly see for two years. It is still hard to imagine, even with hefting around 80+ pounds of luggage, that I am finally on my way to Thailand.
It turns out that there were actually 7 of us on my flight, and 4 of us were able to sit together and talk throughout the flight. I am sure the guy in front of us got an ear-full of many things that he probably could have gone for years without knowing, but it was awesome to finally put faces to some of the names that I have seen, and meet the people who I will be spending the next two years with.
Tonight is going to be full of some good food, meeting new people, and SLEEPING. Maybe I can finally catch up on some of that sleep I have been missing....or it may have to wait I start my 22 hour journey from Philly to Tokyo to Bangkok. Tomorrow is going to be full of meetings and introductions and then it will be time for me to pack up my computer, cancel my phone, and be off the map for a few weeks.
It turns out that there were actually 7 of us on my flight, and 4 of us were able to sit together and talk throughout the flight. I am sure the guy in front of us got an ear-full of many things that he probably could have gone for years without knowing, but it was awesome to finally put faces to some of the names that I have seen, and meet the people who I will be spending the next two years with.
Tonight is going to be full of some good food, meeting new people, and SLEEPING. Maybe I can finally catch up on some of that sleep I have been missing....or it may have to wait I start my 22 hour journey from Philly to Tokyo to Bangkok. Tomorrow is going to be full of meetings and introductions and then it will be time for me to pack up my computer, cancel my phone, and be off the map for a few weeks.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Almost time...
Time is moving so quickly that I don't know if my head will stop spinning long enough for me to take a breath to ensure I have everything completed. I will be waking up in just a few hours (about 4.5-5 hours) to head out to the airport and start this new chapter in my life. I just spent the last 3 hours sorting out my clothes, packing, weighing my bags, emptying my bags, then repacking again. I think I have finally found a nice happy balance between my two bags. As I sit here, anxiously waiting for the morning to come, I can only hope that my 5 trips to Target, 3 trips to shoe stores, at least 10 to clothing stores, and 2 electronic stores were enough to purchase everything that I need for Thailand.
I went to lunch a couple of days ago with a couple of other PC volunteers that will be joining me this coming week, and it was a relief to know that I was not the only one whose emotions were running wild like a runaway roller coaster. I have said goodbye to all of my family and friends, but its hard to imagine that it could be 2 years before I see them again. "See ya later" just doesn't cut it when you say good-bye in these situations, but I don't think any of us really knew how to say it any other way. The idea that I am going away for that long is so surreal. I don't think that its going to hit me until I step off the plane and take a breath of the hot, humid air that permeates Thailand. Even then, it may not sink in for a few days or even weeks.
Current emotions: Excitement, exhaustion, nervousness, anxiousness, happiness, wonderment, and relief that the wait is almost complete.
Let the journey begin!! (After some much needed sleep) :)
I went to lunch a couple of days ago with a couple of other PC volunteers that will be joining me this coming week, and it was a relief to know that I was not the only one whose emotions were running wild like a runaway roller coaster. I have said goodbye to all of my family and friends, but its hard to imagine that it could be 2 years before I see them again. "See ya later" just doesn't cut it when you say good-bye in these situations, but I don't think any of us really knew how to say it any other way. The idea that I am going away for that long is so surreal. I don't think that its going to hit me until I step off the plane and take a breath of the hot, humid air that permeates Thailand. Even then, it may not sink in for a few days or even weeks.
Current emotions: Excitement, exhaustion, nervousness, anxiousness, happiness, wonderment, and relief that the wait is almost complete.
Let the journey begin!! (After some much needed sleep) :)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Homeless at last...
It has been a crazy two years to get me to where I am today. I received my nomination for Feb 2010 - Africa 23 months ago, and I leave in 6 days for my staging to go to Thailand. I am amazed at the amount of paper work I have had to fill out (and am still working on), and all of the doctor appointments and phone calls that had to be made to finally make this happen. I'm not going to Africa, but I know that Thailand is going to be FABULOUS! I cannot wait for the real journey to begin.
I have spent the last month visiting friends and family while moving out of my apartment to get ready to go. I am so grateful to my family and friends who have supported me, housed me, and loaned me their cars. As of this morning, I am officially homeless. I turned in my keys, all my belongings are sitting in my grandma's car, and I am sitting at Starbucks filling in final paperwork, creating my blog, and making sure all my finances are in order. It is hard to believe that I will be in Philly this time next week going through Staging.
I can't wait to get to Thailand and meet all the other PCVs and start learning about the culture. My job as a CBOD is slightly ambiguous at the moment, so I am excited to see where it will take me when I get there. I know that the next 2yrs are going to be a journey that I cannot predict, but I know that I am going to love every minute of it!! (Ok, maybe not EVERY minute)
I have spent the last month visiting friends and family while moving out of my apartment to get ready to go. I am so grateful to my family and friends who have supported me, housed me, and loaned me their cars. As of this morning, I am officially homeless. I turned in my keys, all my belongings are sitting in my grandma's car, and I am sitting at Starbucks filling in final paperwork, creating my blog, and making sure all my finances are in order. It is hard to believe that I will be in Philly this time next week going through Staging.
I can't wait to get to Thailand and meet all the other PCVs and start learning about the culture. My job as a CBOD is slightly ambiguous at the moment, so I am excited to see where it will take me when I get there. I know that the next 2yrs are going to be a journey that I cannot predict, but I know that I am going to love every minute of it!! (Ok, maybe not EVERY minute)
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