Today was wonderful, I really got to take some good steps into life here. I've been going to school at the instituted for the past few days now, which consists of taking classes in Thai (with a teacher and four other students) in the morning, and then doing some sort of orientation in the afternoon. Today, though, we went out and took a minitour of Chiang Mai. We went to a small culture and history museum, and then to a market, where we had to do a scavenger hunt of sorts, which had us trying all sorts of exotic meats... they love meat. All of it. And I'm learning to love it to... because sometimes that's all there is to eat. Sausages, meat balls, fried chicken, fried pork, fish (right off the dead animal), octopus, shrimp, boiled pork. The site of meat still in it's animal form doesn't even bother me anymore, either, because it's pretty normal. At the market we had to eat an insect. My group chose dried silk worms, which turned out to be pretty good. Very salty, kind of like little potato chips. I enjoyed buying things, because I got to speak Thai to the shop owners, which really makes it real. So anyway, that was the market.

Normally, at least the first two days of school, my host mom would pick me up from school. But I convinced her that today I would be able to take the song taew (literally 'two seats' because it is a pickup truck with two benches in the bed -- an ingenious form of public transportation for less than 30 cents a ride). I take the song taew in the morning wiht a cousin, but today would be the first time I took it alone. I realized I had to do it after I started getting the impression that my host mom thought I was inept at everything I tried (there's many examples to back this up... but most of them were just simple mistakes that couldn't be explained as such due to language/cultural barriers... and I am very klutzy on top of that). So anyway, I built up the moxy to take the song taew by myself today, and it was great. First, I had to cross the 'superhighway', which means a road that Thai people drive on like they normally would -- which is fairly crazy -- except very very fast. But I made it ok. I then waited for the song taew, and was able to finally identify it by using what little I had learned to read the sign (written in Thai) which said that it was heading down Mae Rim road. So I hailed it, asked in Thai if it was going down Mae Rim, the driver said yes, and I went to climb in the back. The back, however, was completely full, maybe 15 people in the bed of a pickup truck, including three or foor standing on the back, holding on. There was no room. But then the driver and the Buddhist monk sitting next to him in the front seat moved over, and I was able to climb in the front. So that's how I road home, squished next to a Buddhist monk. The driver asked me a couple basic questions in Thai which I was able to answer, which was fun. The real twist came when I couldn't remember where I had to get out. I eventually decided to get out at a place that I recognized and though twas close to home. It wasn't. So I walked maybe a kilometer (do the conversion), and I could tell I was getting close, when a normal pickup truck pulled up next to me. It honked, so I moved away. Then a woman got out and told me to get in. I kind of recognized her, but I definitely recognized the man driving as an uncle. I asked where they were going and they said home. So I hopped in the back with their two little girls and we got home ok. The only unfortunate part about the whole thing is that I had planned on hiding the whole getting off early part from my host mom, in order to save some face, but that wasn't going to happen anymore. But she just thought the whole thing was funny. Whew... that was a long story -- sorry if it bored you. I just thought it to be the first noteworthy thing to happen to me yet, punctuated by the lovely orange-clad monk I sat next to.

Anyway. I still love it here, and I'm definitely starting to settle in, which is both good and bad. Bad in the sense that some of the initial excitement has worn off, but good in that I am starting to feel comfortable. The language is coming more easily, and I love learning to read and write it (Thai is written in different characters that look like this: ไป (which means to go), and รน่ฟสากสาฟำสาสืก (means nothing to speak of). I'll leave it at that.

Noah

It's telling that one of the first words that I have learned is 'leum' which means 'forget'. It mostly comes from the time when, during my first full day in this country, I forgot my credit card and box-with-the-charger at the cell phone store in the mall... which is quite a distance away. Don't worry mom, I got it. Kung Mae (host mom) and I just had to drive all the way back to the mall later that night. It's funny... they frequently say how I have a good memory... referring to how I remember words, but they say just as much if not more how I always forget things. Every time we go out now, Kung Mae reminds me to make sure I have everything in my bag before we leave. In a joking sort of way.

We went to a big walking market today, which they set up every sunday, and where you can buy all sorts of handmade stuff. It was very cool. Among the most notable items was a dog wearing a tie with the Playboy logo on it. I guess that's what happens when you let all the dogs have their testicles (which they do).

- Noah

Well I made it -- it's my first morning here, at my host family's home. We arrived in Chiang Mai yesterday around 10 AM, and were quickly greeted by the ISDSI staff (ISDSI is the program that I am in). They rounded us all up and took us to the ISDSI compound. We got an immediate indication of what was in store when we loaded into the covered beds of red trucks called song taews and stared out the open windows and door at the beautiful city that flew past us. Anyone who had any doubts about the program quickly had a change of heart.

The ISDSI compound was no less spectacular. An old building with a yard, climbing wall, covered patio, etc. We were greeted by the program director and then we're treated to lunch. An hour later, Ajaan Mike (ajaan means teacher), took whoever wanted to to get Thai massages, for the nice price of 350 bhat (about $10). They lasted two hours, and were, of course, amazing... despite the fact that everyone had to pee during them because we chugged water before hand from the recomendation that we hydrate.

Once we returned, it was only a half hour or so before host families started arriving. We were all incredibly nervous, and those doubts began to resurface. We frantically went over what little Thai we collectively knew, stressing, most important, how to say 'pom mai kao jai' -- 'I don't understand' -- incase we were to land a family that spoke no English.

I got my family assingment somewhere in the middle of them all. My family consists of my host mother and father, host sister Nong View (15), brother Ono (18). There is also a family friend, who was there with mother and View to pick me up, who speaks pretty good English, so that was a help. My host mother also speaks some English, usually enought that we can figure each other out. Ono is studying English in school, and we've already agreed to help each other on our homework. I suppose I should also mention how much I already love them all... they are so nice and very funny. Last night we went out to dinner, a 'steak buffet'. Nancy (the family friend) and my host mother dropped us kids off, because they, it turns out, are vegetarian. I secretly wished I could go with them, especially when I realized that the buffet consisted of fried meats and french fries, as well as some salad stuff. Not quite the typical Thai meal, but it was a lot of fun spending time with my host siblings, and their cousin, Nong Kaa. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out words in each others languages, and giving rounds of high fives when we did figure it out. I'm glad the Thais appreciate the magic of high fives.

On the ride home I was falling asleep, due to the fact that I had gotten about seven or so hours of sleep over the past two days of travel. (I should note, also, how bizarre the travel was, especially the seven hour lay over in the empty airport in Singapore (where we felt like little kids at a hotel), and the 18 hour flight over the Pacific, for which we were on the most extravagant airplane, and all felt like the kid from Blank Check). Anyways... I got home and promptly passed out in my room. When I woke up, I had a breakfast of fried rice, soup, and sticky rice. Sticky rice is amaaazing. Especially with Thai custard, as i had it this morning. And now I'm here.

Maybe not the most thoughtful of all updates in the world, but I just thought I'd get yall up to date on what's going on. I have the weekend off now, and will go to school this monday. I hope to find a phone today as well. Love.

-Noah.

In ten or so days I'll be in Thailand.