So I have had a pretty eventful week so far. I am used to sitting around reading each issue of Newsweek 3 times so all of this excitement is a little much for me!
On Monday, a couple of guys from the office asked me if I wanted to go with them. I had no idea where they were going, but I figured why not…it should be fun. They made me change into my pants (I wear pants into the office as I have to ride my bike then I change into a skirt) and told me that it was far into the hills. So we set out in the office truck and rode for about 10 miles in the direction of Nan and then we turned off onto a dirt road that led into the hills. Now this dirt road was very narrow…so narrow in fact that that driver would honk the horn at sharp turns and steep hills to warn possible oncoming traffic. We drove for about 25 minutes on this road before we got to our destination. It turns out that we were going to look at a bridge that had been washed away & needed to be replaced. The guys had to take a few measurements & talk to some people about the lumber. (I have no idea why our guys were the ones doing the work because there are much closer city offices than ours). I just sat back and enjoyed the scenery!
It was lunchtime when we got back so we all headed to the usual restaurant and when we got back, another guy asked me if I would like to go somewhere else (he told me where but I have a very hard time understanding him for some reason). He took me to one of the village’s community groups. Now a community group in Thailand is a little different than one in the States. The group that we went to visit was actually a group of women that make clothing (they are all spread out in their own homes). We went to one home where they spin thread from cotton then to a home where they weave the fabric (which was really neat & I got to spin some thread onto a spool that they use). Then we went to another home where they sew clothing. It was really interesting to see the entire process from start to finish!
Then on Tuesday, I showed up for work and some of the staff were wearing their military uniforms. As not everyone was wearing them (they all have them) I didn’t think anything of it. Then we went to lunch and I saw some kids out…which I did think odd as school had started again. So I asked one of my coworkers why the kids weren’t in school and she told me that school was canceled today because the Princess was coming! As soon as we got back from lunch, we headed off to a field where we sat in a U and waited for her to show up. We waited for 2 hours…sitting on the floor…with our legs to one side of our body…for 2 hours…my legs went numb…so numb that I couldn’t move my toes…seriously…I tried…repeatedly. Anyway, she finally showed up and walked around and looked at different displays that they had set up for her and then she walked around the U to talk to some people. Now somehow, I ended up in the front row on the inside of the U where the Princess was walking. And I was the only “farang” sitting there so she stopped and talked to me! She asked me where I was from and how long I would be in Thailand (I have a problem with the last question because when they ask in English it is usually “How long you be in Thailand?” and I can never tell if they are asking me how long I have been in Thailand or how long I will be in Thailand)…so I got stuck on that question for a second even though she asked in English (I’m such a dork!) Unfortunately I was unable to take pictures of the Princess (it was not the same one that attended our Swearing In Ceremony) but I did get some “while we were waiting” shots.
On Monday, a couple of guys from the office asked me if I wanted to go with them. I had no idea where they were going, but I figured why not…it should be fun. They made me change into my pants (I wear pants into the office as I have to ride my bike then I change into a skirt) and told me that it was far into the hills. So we set out in the office truck and rode for about 10 miles in the direction of Nan and then we turned off onto a dirt road that led into the hills. Now this dirt road was very narrow…so narrow in fact that that driver would honk the horn at sharp turns and steep hills to warn possible oncoming traffic. We drove for about 25 minutes on this road before we got to our destination. It turns out that we were going to look at a bridge that had been washed away & needed to be replaced. The guys had to take a few measurements & talk to some people about the lumber. (I have no idea why our guys were the ones doing the work because there are much closer city offices than ours). I just sat back and enjoyed the scenery!
It was lunchtime when we got back so we all headed to the usual restaurant and when we got back, another guy asked me if I would like to go somewhere else (he told me where but I have a very hard time understanding him for some reason). He took me to one of the village’s community groups. Now a community group in Thailand is a little different than one in the States. The group that we went to visit was actually a group of women that make clothing (they are all spread out in their own homes). We went to one home where they spin thread from cotton then to a home where they weave the fabric (which was really neat & I got to spin some thread onto a spool that they use). Then we went to another home where they sew clothing. It was really interesting to see the entire process from start to finish!
Then on Tuesday, I showed up for work and some of the staff were wearing their military uniforms. As not everyone was wearing them (they all have them) I didn’t think anything of it. Then we went to lunch and I saw some kids out…which I did think odd as school had started again. So I asked one of my coworkers why the kids weren’t in school and she told me that school was canceled today because the Princess was coming! As soon as we got back from lunch, we headed off to a field where we sat in a U and waited for her to show up. We waited for 2 hours…sitting on the floor…with our legs to one side of our body…for 2 hours…my legs went numb…so numb that I couldn’t move my toes…seriously…I tried…repeatedly. Anyway, she finally showed up and walked around and looked at different displays that they had set up for her and then she walked around the U to talk to some people. Now somehow, I ended up in the front row on the inside of the U where the Princess was walking. And I was the only “farang” sitting there so she stopped and talked to me! She asked me where I was from and how long I would be in Thailand (I have a problem with the last question because when they ask in English it is usually “How long you be in Thailand?” and I can never tell if they are asking me how long I have been in Thailand or how long I will be in Thailand)…so I got stuck on that question for a second even though she asked in English (I’m such a dork!) Unfortunately I was unable to take pictures of the Princess (it was not the same one that attended our Swearing In Ceremony) but I did get some “while we were waiting” shots.
In some other news, I told you that they had asked me to teach English on Thursdays in the primary school, well, they then changed that to 3 days a week because there are 3 schools in the village. I don’t know my schedule yet, but I have a feeling I am going to be pretty busy! I am also very excited because I get to go to Chaing Mai this weekend for some R&R…we are going to see “Pirates of the Caribean” and eat some “American” food and do some shopping so I am sure that I will have a lot more to tell you in a couple of days!
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