Tis the Season in Thailand!

This past weekend we visited our friends, Andrew and Derrik, in Chum Bueng. After a late nite (or perhaps I should say early morning) of catching up, we were awakened by the cheerful arrival of P’Gee, our head foreign teacher. After getting ready in 5 minutes, we traveled in the back of a truck to a local hot springs. Not sure if their healing powers worked, but we did feel relaxed!

This week has been spent proctoring exams. This means we spend our days reading, browsing the internet, and drinking free iced coffee…with, of course, an occasional glance to ensure that the students aren't cheating.








I’ve  adopted a local stray dog, whom I’ve named Luke Skywalker. He’s so grateful for our attention, and dog treats, that he’s started entering our house unannounced and uninvited. He’s progressed from peeping his nose around our living room couch to making it all the way upstairs. Despite my inclination to allow dogs into bed, I’ve managed to resist Luke’s pleading eyes. I don’t really need fleas in my sheets.

My flowery, blue bicycle has continued to deteriorate. The chain has come loose, the seat needs tightening every week, and my basket has come unscrewed (spilling my purse into the middle of a busy intersection!!). Yet, despite it's condition, bicycling to work is still my favorite mode of transport.

A few weeks ago, Win, Rachel, Randi and I traveled 9 hours northeast to Surin for an elephant festival. We only stayed one night, but we enjoyed the fair, where we bought matching pants and took in an elephant show! The show consisted of 300 elephants entertaining the crowds by painting, hoola-hooping, playing soccer, and reenacting war scenes. After 7 attempts at mounting a standing elephant, Randi got to ride an elephant to a local temple. Because elephants are my favorite animal, and because I've never laughed as much as I did at Randi's mounting of the elephant (tho to be fair, without a ladder or a stool, I wouldn't have been able to mount the elephant either), it was one of my favorite weekends :)

                                                                   



To get into the Holiday spirit, we've been listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. It won't be the same this year without snow and family (both of which we miss), but we’re looking forward to a weekend of R and R at a riverside hotel in Bangkok. We'll be lounging poolside and enjoying a Christmas dinner with our friend, Rose :)

~ Stacy