It’s been four days since I picked Alyssa up at the bus station in Nakhon Phanom and she’s had a whirlwind of activities since her arrival. We spent Saturday and Sunday touring my small village, Pla Pak. On Monday we woke up before 6am to prepare for sai baht, or to make merit. We attended a ceremony in Pla Pak in which residents gave food donations to 111 monks. The main street through the village was closed down and big long carpets were rolled out for the monks. It was an incredible experience for her to witness! She has also been accompanying me in the classrooms, helping me with my weather lessons. My students were very curious about her, and a bit shy too, but by the end of the day they were brave enough to hang around and ask her questions, like if she was dating anyone. She was also given a Thai nickname, Bai Bua (Lotus Leaf), which spread quickly throughout the community…now everyone calls to her by this name when they see her around!
Tomorrow we depart for Chiang Mai, which I am really excited about. Then it’s back to teaching for one week before Amber, my second guest in Thailand, makes her way to me! I feel extremely grateful to have such support during these early months abroad. Thanks to everyone who follows my blog, sends thoughtful emails, mails me AMAZING packages and even makes the trip to Thailand.
Well I hope to write more after my return. Until then, wish me luck on my weather lessons tomorrow (I am introducing the four seasons of Wisconsin to compare them with the three seasons in Thailand) and our 15 hour bus ride to Northern Thailand.
Learning from the Land of Smiles 