Thrilled as Siam.

.... to find a place in the world that is everything I love about China, and few of the things I abhor, I'm having a hard time expressing it.  To sum things up, three weeks was not enough.  As I leaf through my journal, there are literally twelve blogicles that can be formed using just the first week.  Thus I admit overwhelmedness and give you my Top Ten of Thailand.  As I reminisce and give myself time to really write, I will give details, quips, narrative, and incidents ad nauseum.  Look forward to stories about the girls at BHJ and perhaps even a run in with the Thai health care system.  Promise.  For now, behold:

10)  Gorgeous.  The majority of the Thailand is lush, green tropics.  We took a night train to and from Chiang Mai, where BHJ is, and my favorite part of the journey was getting to see the landscape of the Thai countryside.  Furthermore, our four days at the beach in Koh Chang couldn't have even been wrecked by the torrential downpour happening the entire time.  The beaches, mountains, wildlife, and water will take your breath away. 

9) the monks.  They are SO CUTE.  It is customary in Thailand for people to never look directly at them, and to always keep our head below theirs.  In Chiang Mai, across the street from our guest house, the monks would walk through the market early in the morning on their way to the temple.  I wanted to hug one.  Uncle Steve said no.  Dang it. 

8) Sustenance.  Man cannot live on bread alone.  I get it, but I also take it literally.  Eating good food is one of my favorite parts of being human.  Thailand was only too accommodating.  The food I ate off of a cart on the street was better than any takeout I had ever purchased on this side of the Pacific.  There were so many things to eat, you could easily suffer from stimulation overload while walking through the markets.  Uncle Steve and I were pretty brave food adventurers, making a point to never miss out on weird food opportunities.  We weren't ever sorry.  The kids and I even effectively applied for Thai citizenship by daring to sample the exoskeletonous snacks (read: deep fried bugs).  Side note: lots of weird and delicious tropical fruit to be had there.  one of my favorites was salak palm fruit, which tastes like tropical starburst (i know, ew right?).  a major bonus was that I didn't know what it was called, and my agriculture extraordinaire dad didn't know either.  he had previously never been stumped.  booyah.

7) Rotee.  this is technically a food, but requires its own distinction nonetheless.  Rotee is ala fried crepe, but so much better.  They fill them with whatever you want, fry it to a golden brown, and then cover it with chocolate sauce and condensed milk.  The first time I saw it made (on a cart streetside, mind you) I was mortified to see the lady bathing it in hot oil before serving it to me.  As soon as it hit my mouth, all such moments forgotten.  I joked that I couldn't go to sleep in Thailand without one, but lived like the joke was real.  I'm salivating as I type this.  Drool on the N key.  

6) Transportation.  People are so much better at getting around everywhere outside of the US.  In Thailand, the majority of average citizens travel by motorbike or song tow.  A song tow is a taxi, of sorts.  Basically a pickup truck with a canopy and benches lining the truckbed.  No meters, you just tell the driver where you want to go, bat your eyelashes a bit, and barter for the price.  The more people you have, the cheaper it will be.  It was so pleasant to travel this way, we just all piled in like clowns at the circus and that was that.  While in Chiang Mai, we hired a driver, SuBin, to chauffeur us out to BHJ every morning and bring us back.  Not only did it cost us about 2.50 us dollars a day yo do this, but he was a superhero.  We all became quite fond of SuBin, and depended on him to keep track of us....maybe pull a gadget or two out of his rig.  

5) Eh-yaphants.  That's what Maya calls them.  She's 2.  Elephants have been my favorite for a long time, ever since I cried my way through Dumbo as a preschooler.  Thailand is known for its indigenous elephant population, and I was able to buy elephant paraphernalia of all kinds.  More significant, while on Koh Chang, we visited them at an elephant reserve camp.  These Thai people live in this camp, take care of the elephants, and lead tourists through the jungle while atop Babar.  Not only did  I sit in a magical basket and ride an elephant, but we were able to feed them and get in the river to bathe them.  I could just squeal thinking about how fun it was and how cute they were.  They're smart, and cheeky creatures to boot.  They get each other riled up and think it's funny to spray water all over the farangs (white people).  I think it's funny too.  

4)  Not a Baht.  Thailand is ideal for the economical adventurer.  To paint a picture, I spent three weeks traveling on trains, eating, buying things, staying in guest houses, and having interactive activities in a foreign country.  I spent less than 700 dollars.  Just can't go wrong. With the exchange rate being about 34 Baht to one dollar, dinners in Chiang Mai cost me about $1.36.  How could I leave, you ask?  Very hesitantly.  

3) GDH.  This last winter, I read a book called the Geography of Bliss.  In short, a grumpy man visits all of the most allegedly happy countries in the world and try to figure out why they are so.  Thailand is included, and notably practices GrossDomesticHappiness.  It shows.  The people of that little nation are just so darn great.  You know how annoyed we are at the tourists in all of our major cities that clog up our transportation systems, yell in indistinguishable languages, and wear horribly offensive clothing?  Thais are more mature than that.  We dumbass Americans were welcomed everywhere we went.  No matter where we were, we got help from the locals before we could even sheepishly ask for it.  Our housemom, PiDang, probably saved me from a horrible fiery death (more on that later...).  Our driver, SuBin, could be found on numerous occasions pushing BHJ girls on the swing, making ballon animals, holding yarn to be braided, hammering the swingset, or generally being a superhero.  Look for him at night, flighting crime and wearing a cape.  

2) Those girls.  Of course, the girls at BHJ were just it.  I wish there were words that would help my family and friends understand, but to know them is truly to love.  They were just delightful.  It's quite unfathomable to tell you how simply they live their lives, and even more still to tell you about their joy.  They find joy in everything we barely recognize.  Please, please, if you ever remember while standing in front of me, ask me about them.  Watch my face light up.  

1) Still about me.  Prepare the cheeseball.  My favorite part of my Thailand trip is me.  I feel different, energized, and anew.  I feel badass and softened all at once.  I feel appreciative and socially annoyed.  I feel educated and bewildered by my naivete.  All of these are productive. 

Kap Kun Kaa for reading.  More to come.

Love Love Love. 

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