the first tastes of thai life..

SPICY OR SPICY OR SPICY?

this morning had my first street vendor food! i decided to chose my vendor by picking the first one i saw with someone standing in line cuz the line must mean they are good..so when i went to the worthy vendor i pointed at the dishes, and i asked what meat it was. she was like, "pig, or chicken." then i pointed at the chicken stuff, and she was like, "spicy!" i was like, "what isn't as spicy?" then she pointed at each dish, "spicy, spicy, spicy, spicy." haha..so i decided to do it the thai way and asked for the chicken. she was like "are you sure you want it??" i said "yes, but only a little bit..."

so after my first two bites my lips felt numb and like they were on fire and about to fall off all at the same time. but at least it had good flavor! so my first thai breakfast consisted of a small container of rice, a wee bit of chicken veggie hottness and a fried egg. all for under a dollar! woosh! im eager for the day i will be able to eat without my lips falling off..

then i wandered some more and found a coffee shop! its called mau's coffee beans. it had a cool modern feel to it. i asked for a cappuccino and thought i could just get it to go, but she directed me to sit down. so i sat and waited and listened/watched some sort of thai american idol superstar singing easy listening songs. she then brought it over in this funky cup and saucer with a wee spoon. but first she laid out a placemat, and a folded napkin. then she also gave me my very own container
full of sugar packets. the cappuccino was pretty good, almost met my standards. i even got a little creme puff on the saucer to eat after my drink. go thailand!

SHOP INTO CULTURE SHOCKNESS

so my director, ja, is super cool. she is 27 and we have a lot in common. she was sweet enough to take me to buy a cell phone and show me the malls. but then she had to leave to meet someone, so i was left, gaping up at the seven story malls alone.

at first i was a little overwhelmed, but then i got my bearings, and enjoyed myself. i loved the independent feeling of going wherever and just wandering with no goal in mind but to explore. i felt thai culture zooming at me full steam though. i couldn't absorb it all at once, so it was making my mind boggle. there were so many different stores, and different people coming at me. its ok though, cuz i got a cool shirt and even got to barter for it. hmm..but she didnt accept my offer of 180 baht. so my bartering skills need to be worked on...

CANT ESCAPE UNC...EVER

then the best part of my day, was when i met up with my friend ja, who studied abroad last semester at UNC. i had just sent her off in may at the airport in raleigh, and then a few months later i get to catch up with her at a mcdonalds in bangkok. how crazy!

so we chatted merrily for awhile, and she helped me with my thai. i had been asking everyone all day how to say thank you, and no one really helped me. they just repeated the phrase to me with a blank stare. then i would try to say it back and a bunch of goobeldy gook would come out. but then ja slowly went over with me each tone, and i sort of got it. its hard cuz i feel like i sound like a man when i use some tones cuz they are really low. then i feel like i sound like im whining when i use the other tones. then other times i sound monotone. it feels so unnatural. but im sure i will get used to it.

its so nice to have friends here and to be meeting new people. but i didnt feel super alone even when i wasnt with them because i know God is with me. its pretty sweet..