I think I understand…?

That is my thought every time I have a conversation. For the people out there who think being an exchange student is easy, you don’t even know the half of it. We post cool pictures on the internet to make you jealous of the adventure but you are only seeing the happy moments, not the daily struggles to function successfully in our foreign country. Don’t misunderstand me I love it here I do not want leave but, I want to try to get through to your empathy and imagine such challenges you have never faced before.

Well, that was a good welcome to my blog 😉 Thanks for reading and haha I did in fact make another post before Monday! My box my mom sent me came yesterday while I was ironing my school uniforms, ( my Thai mom she got them monogrammed with my Thai name! Yaada which means Philosopher and my Thai nickname, Tubtim, means like ruby, pomegranate cause the first week I was really red in the face from blushing and the heat so my classmates thought it fight nicely 😉 ) so now I am already for school… I should be excited to see my friends but it will sad to watch their faces when they start speaking Thai to me, I have improved greatly over the week with the new family but not ready for a Thai teenage conversation. I am lucky I almost have the 47 characters of the Thai alphabet memorized.

here lets take a picture break! my blog looks boring!

my house! And my sister!

whoa wasn’t that exciting? I love my house its so open and comfortable right now I am siting on the couch and it is a comfy as it looks! I spend all day downstairs cause way too hot upstairs. At this moment my sister, P’Pat is at her part-time job as English tutor and Khun Meh is at home doing her teacher work on the computer listening to soothing Thai music. I really love it here and I am bonding with my sister over Japanese cartoons and Korean music. It has been fun!

But back to earlier about the box! I want to thank my best friend Anna for all the amazingly sweet letters you wrote me and I am writing you one so expect to hear from my mom later. And mom and dad and Leighann thanks for getting the Idaho shirts for my family it means a lot to me to give them something. And all the snacks and awesome socks I am trying to figure out if I can get away with wearing them at school. 😉 We don’t celebrate Halloween here so I think to socks will have to do. As soon as I say the TARDIS socks I put them on and was sliding around the house in them! So please know my family and friends who helped with box I am grateful!

Lets see what else… OH! right. MY GRANDFATHER IS COMING TO THAILAND!! (explains the count down) I am so psyched to see him! we get to spend to afternoon together! Gosh darn whenever I think about I start bouncing in my seat like a little kid 🙂 And other news I am answering questions for the yearbook so there will be an article about me so everyone should get a yearbook now because it will be wonderful cause of Elizabeth 😉 I made this video for this American AFS official who was in Thailand and knew about me and works with Yes Abroad but I think its better now so I will share with you! Later!

With foreign love,

Mary
P.S never mind about the video its not loading but I will share it soon!! sorry to get you excited.
P.P.S look hashtags! #AFS #YESABROAD

Ah. So I have some explaining to do…

Yeah, I thing I summed that up real well. A lot of things has happened since I last wrote on this blog that has been very neglected. I am sorry little blog and to my friends and family who worry back home in USA. Lets catch up over the lost time, ok?  Today was 12th day with my new host family. For those of you whom did not know that I changed my Thai host family i did. I changed because of the busy schedule the family had and how we had a large communication challenge, they are in fact a wonderful family I personally think it just was not a good match. So as the Thai’s say, Mai Pben Rai! No worries I am much happier here than I can imagine. The week before I went to English camp to help assist the Thai and foreign teachers at school that a AFS volunteer invited me to join. To say the least it was a lot of fun and I got to see and make some new foreign friends from other AFS students in Thailand and other Thai students from that school. After that I spent two days with a teacher from that school, and I know I sound too up beat but that was great also it was 2 days filled with delicious food that had no meat in it! everything tasted great and tofu can taste really good American reading this! So a side note of this post is don’t be afraid to eat food you don’t know. In the beginning I was surprised at myself at the mental barriers I had to over come just to eat a Thai meal. And over time it gets easier to get out of your comfort zone then soon you are eating squid, fish, sea snails, and all different kinds of Thai noodles and rice!  For my family reading please don’t go into shock about how I was one of the pickiest eaters back home…I know… You all told me so 😉 Anyway after that I meet up with my coordinator and grabbed all my things consisting of one big busted up suitcase, one small suitcase, three backpacks, and a laptop bag and a small purse/travel bag later I met the family I would hopeful love. To be honest with you guys I was so nervous I was near to tears and my adviser got me praying in the back seat. I was so worried I was some how going to mess up this time too. I thought I might never get to feel what its like to have a family here with me to help me go through all my struggles. So far I have been completely wrong. That day I met my sister, P’Pat.( note: Thai culture when referring to an older sibling sister/brother you add P’ to show respect) and she is in the last year in the University and went on exchange a few years ago to USA so I am able to talk to her easily and comfortable. My Thai mom, Khun Meh( Thai pronunciation and also to show respect to close elders add Khun) is a elementary school teacher so my almost nonexistent Thai language skills have improved greatly. But, I know when school starts up next week my Thai friends will be sad I can’t speak fluent yet. My house is “posh” as my american friend called it and I agree its really open and welcoming and so far it still feels the same. After a few days with just the 3 of us my Thai dad, Khun Pah(Thai pronunciation) came home from working in I think now its Laos? as an engineer. I talked to him once before we met on the phone and he tried telling me a joke in Thai, I was so embarrassed I didn’t understand, I quickly said in Thai, sorry I don’t understand and gave the phone back to my mom. After I met him and spent a couple of days together I found out he is really funny and a great father to my new family, I like to think the phone call we had is now a joke between us and when he comes back again in three weeks I am supposed to show I improved my Thai. I look forward to telling him the all the 47 characters of the Thai alphabet, the days of the week and basic conversation to see if I can understand Thai humor. In other news as an AFS student it is no surprise I am getting fat. I am no way ashamed to enjoy Thai food and especially Thai dessert but now that means I have to start excising… I don’t know if you guys back in snowy north Idaho can imagine how freaking hot it gets here so that means I get to wake up at 6 in the morning to get my now jiggling body out of bed and take a run in my village although short time it is sometimes worth the stares I get from the neighbors because I am foreign. I guess I will lead me to clarify somethings about Thailand. Thai culture mostly loves foreigners, I have no idea why but its kinda nice to be treated special just because I am white. Please understand its not a racist belief. It is just a part of their culture that makes them unique. Thai culture believes the opposite of what us Americans think. Being tan is not good here, it means you stay outside all day working in the hot sun and not relaxing inside with air conditioning. When with us staying inside means you work to much and don’t relax outside in the sun. It kinda makes me laugh a little about our thoughts about such things we both do things to our skin to look tan and white when really that just proves the point of how we are alike no matter the differences of the situation and the fact of different parts of the world. Woah, sorry I am rereading what I wrote and its kinda spread out with a bunch of different topics that don’t have good explanations but its late here and I am getting tired. There is so much I need to tell you about everything and I promise on windows 8 laptop I will write again before Monday when school starts back up for me. Aka back to wearing a uniform that makes me look like a barbie Thai style. I like cause I don’t worry about fitting in but seriously a uniform can be annoying. Not Good, Not Bad, Just Different. ;D that was for all you AFSer’s out there who find the motto as cheesy and helpful as ever.
Love everyone goodnight
Mary/tubtim/yaada
P.S that is my English name, Thai nickname. and Thai name. sweet dreams
#AFSThailand #AFS