We have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off, to a certain extent. At the same time, our schedule has been lax. I've gone to update this blog a few times only to be drawn away by new and exciting things, but I'm finally sitting down and updating (which is funny since the internet just died and I'm writing this in word to be uploaded later).
We spend about three days in Bangkok and left on the evening of the 16th for Chiang Mai - by night train! The train was pretty cool because we had full food and beverage service (though the food was okay at best), and the seats folded down and a sleeping mat was put over them for a bed. There were curtains and night-lights and everything, and another bunk folded down from above. I slept pretty well, and when I woke up in the night I read on my Kindle for a while and fell back asleep (Kindle = <3). We arrived in Chiang Mai in the early afternoon on Tuesday the 17th, and Kun Krit - one of the International Studies heads - met us and rode with us to Mountain View Guest House, where we will stay our whole time in Chiang Mai. The guesthouse is gorgeous - the tables set up for eating are all outside under canopies and there are plants and trees everywhere. We have seen and heard some interesting wildlife so far, including the coppersmith barbet (if you can look up the sound it makes you should - I think that's where catchphrase got the sound for its timer), pinkish colored geckos, and lots of cats that are apparently in heat because they yowl like banshees all night. There are a mix of foreigners and Thais staying at the guesthouse, which has been pretty pleasant so far. The staff here is pretty good, there are tons of eateries all over the neighborhood, and everything is decently inexpensive. The day we arrived was a free day from school as there are graduation ceremonies going on and the campus was buzzing with activity. Bob let us settle in for a bit, and then took us on a bit of a tour around the area and to a few used book shops so people could get the books for out Asian Lit. class if they hadn't already. We also went to a new book store so I could get a Thai-English dictionary that I'll need for my independent study. Those of us that had gone to the new bookstore hung out at a cool coffee place for awhile before heading back and meeting everyone for dinner. We had our introduction to Thai language the next day, and met several of the professors and some students studying English. They all seem very nice, and our introduction was interesting. They taught us some phonetic symbols made to stand for sounds - which I assume is because otherwise we would get them confused if they used all English letters. I didn't think it would be terribly useful at first, but now I'm starting to see the benefits of it. During our lunch break, Bob took us to a uniform shop to get uniforms for school.
After that, we went out to lunch. (This blog is going to have a lot of eating moments).
Thursday we were off school again for the actual graduation (it's a many-day affair), so we went up Doi Suthep to see the temple, view the wares of the hill tribes, visit the Orchid Jade Factory, and get very close to being car sick.
Before I go into Doi Suthep, I need to explain a few things. The mass transportation in Chiang Mai are called Song Tao. They are basically pick up trucks with awnings over the truck bed and two long benches in the back facing inward.
We went up the very twisty mountain road in this at a decent speed. Ugh.
Doi Suthep was beautiful, though.
Well, my laptop's about out of battery and I need to take pictures of more things I want to show you, so I'll finish catching up next time!
~Abby
I love reading your blog....keep it up! I can just imagine riding that night train! Terry D.
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