Since last I blogged, we each lived alone with a family in Khon Kaen for a week. I lived with Ing, my nung-sao (little sister) and my Meh and Paw. I know there are a lot of other people in our family because Ing kept pointing out people and telling me they were her brothers or sisters, but I never actually saw them around and it is HIGHLY possible we had a misunderstanding (many) due to my lack of Thai and her lack of English. Ing was a very cool 11 year old. We hung out and bonded and sometimes held hands when walking home in the evening and cuddled at night sleeping on her floor. But as soon as other kids were around, she didn't want to be seen with some silly farang so she would peace out. My family owned a store that Meh ran. People would be coming in and out basically at all hours. And all of them took a peek at me, some even tried to talk to me so I did lots of smiling and nodding. In the afternoons, Ing and I would go with her friends and their farangs (that means foreigner. We often use it to refer to ourselves. Maybe it helps us fit in because the Thais always use it to refer to us.) would go play tag and soccer and badminton and the like on this cement slab. Then at 6 there was an aerobic dance class which we always took part in for at least a while. The farangs were getting in shape and the kids thought it was hilarious. Then it was home to gin cao (eat. literally, eat rice but they use that for any meal) whatever Meh cooked us, tam gan ban (do homework), apnaam (shower), do tiwi (watch tv), then nawn (sleep). Meh was a great cook, and sometimes I'd help make breakfast while Ing was in the apnaam. The only complaint there could possible be is that we had hot dogs with many meals. I think it was an attempt to make me feel at home, which is so amazingly sweet, but really. Hot dogs. In Thailand. I helped make these fish cakes that were SO GOOD, except you could look in the bowl and see little fishes still swiming around right up until they hit the pan. Good thing I'm not Jae (vegetarian).
On my last morning, Meh showed off the English she'd been working on and said "I love you. I miss you" and gave me a present. Which was a toilet paper holder that is a doll on top and the toilet paper goes under her floofy skirt and comes out of her butt. No one should ever get me a present again because that one can not be beat. The school held a farewell ceremony for us, at which most of the kids were bawling. I asked Ing if she was going to cry and she laughed in my face. But really, she loved me.
Since we've been back, we have been having a lot of background lectures to prepare us for the weeks ahead. Yesterday was a writing workshop led by a Sri Lankan journalist and today was a photography workship led by a British guy who is currently making a photo book as well as a documentary about a Burmese refugee and activist. Pretty cool. It also meant that today we got to spend most of the morning taking cool pictures. I've also been getting up to go swimming or to the gym before class every morning. We call it the CIEE Celebrity Fit Club. We were inspired by the first homestay, when it was 7 30 in the morning and we had already accomplished more than I usually do in a day. No more sleeping in. It's the Thai agrarian life for me!
I'm still loving all the people involved in this program. Even though my roomie just told me that she is planning to get up at 3 am to do some homework, I think we can work past that too.
For the rest of this week, we will continue having background lectures on Thai culture, politics and history, as well as other things to prepare us for our work once we begin homestays again. Then I'm pretty sure we go away next Tuesday to a rural village to learn about sustainable agriculture.
So that's all for now. Pictures to come. I miss everyone not here with me, but there still is no place else I'd rather be right now. (except maybe to gin cao with Meh again).