My Life in October

It has been a while since a post so here is goes an overview of what has been happening here in Thailand.  I have finally gone back to school and have already gone through a week of the new semester.    The two other Canadians at my school and I have been commissioned to create a board on Canada, highlighting the differences between Thailand and Canada.  So we actually have a project due in school, which is different, but a lot of fun because we get to bring our creative sides out and talk about a subject we actually know! To continue with school, understanding other students is a lot easier now, after taking a Thai language course over the break.  My friends at school though are always surprised when I understand what they are saying, but are almost more nervous to speak to me in Thai then in English, I believe just in case I don’t understand, but they are still helping me improve my Thai and are teaching me slang! That is pretty much everything about school at the moment as I have only been back a week, but more later on, when things pick up pace.

I have also been adventuring with other exchange students and their host families to places around Korat.  We went to the ruins of an ancient palace built by the Cambodians, so the language written on the walls of the palace was Cambodian and they style it was built in a slightly different arrangement they had a path that led up to the palace that only the King was allowed to walk on.  In addition, you could only enter from the south and exit to the east, because it entering from the south gave you good luck, and exiting from the east would make you have good fortune in the future.  This place was called Phimai and was only about an hour outside of Korat.  Well to continue with my escapades with the other exchange students, last Saturday, all of the exchange students in my city went to Pakchong, which turn out to be an amusement park with a Western style town.  We got to go zip lining, their version on luge (going down a slope trying to avoid hitting the tires in a cart that has only brakes) and we got to drive dune buggies! It was a lot of fun.  This day we also went to the second highest point around Korat where they have a huge pool of water, which feeds into their lake and while it falls down to the lake it goes through turbines and creates the energy need for Korat.  All in all a very cool place and amazing view of the surrounding hills. 

The Rotary clubs here threw a Halloween Party for the exchange students and we sang karaoke all evening and they were very confused with the custom of saying trick or treat, they thought they were supposed to trick and the kids said treat, so we have lots of fun explaining that to the Rotarians.

Other than these things I have been living a normal life in Thailand, well if you can say that living in Thailand is normal.  It is great I have really started to understand that you have be ready for absolutely anything here, because they spring plans on you at the last minute, but it is great everyone is relaxed and very welcoming.