Picture this...

...Me, by myself in the back of a pick-up truck, speeding down the street with gray rain clouds overhead and my hair blowing in the breeze, eating fresh corn on the cob from the street market, and laughing out loud because it was just so awesome.

Life is good here. I'm getting over my initial culture shock and starting to appreciate Thailand for its positive qualities; like the fact that everyone smiles at me everywhere I go, five people can cram onto one motorcycle--and it's normal, there are lizards on the walls that make little chirping noises, I get fed a bajillion times a day, and they call me Jenna-paa, which means sky (or so I'm told).

This morning, at my internship, we made bead bracelets that get sold in the United States and Australia to help generate income for people infected with HIV/AIDS. It was me, Meredith, and the little girl, Moi, huddled around a little table, listening to Justin Bieber, and just having a grand old time. Since we've made these bracelets at girls' camp before, I remembered a couple of different styles, and they seemed fascinated that I could switch the colors inside-out and then switch them back again (does that make sense? That's a rhetorical question.) Yay for practical application from girls' camp! Also, if you or anyone you know would like to help out this organization and sell the jewelry and cards at your shop or whatever, let me know. They could really use some new resources.

At about 11, Pam showed up and we all hopped in her truck to go run errands. First we stopped by someplace for lunch...I mostly ate rice. But in Thailand, they have dessert soup--which I tried. It wasn't great, but the concept was interesting. After lunch we drove to a saw-paper factory (that's probably not the correct spelling) to pick up the paper that we use to make the cards that we also sell. Then we went to a market to look at new designs for cards and jewelry. Pam really valued our input because we're young, fashionable American girls! Aha. We tried to direct them toward the styles and colors which we thought would sell best right now. We also stopped by an umbrella factory to see how they're made and painted. Finally, we dropped by a food market, which seemed to be expressly for native Thais, because Meredith and I were THE ONLY white people in the whole place, and everyone was staring at us. The food in there was strange, to say the least. But it allowed for some serious cultural immersion.

Dessert soup!

Saw-paper warehouse-place

Poor fish at the market, still gasping for air!

Finally we went back to our little hut-in-the-middle-of-nowhere and then my host parents came to pick me up. On our way home we stopped by yet another market, and I was once again the attraction because I was at least a foot taller than everyone and I was [white]. But it was fun. That's where we got the corn, and that's when I rode in the back of the pick-up truck and had the time of my life.

At home, I rode a rusty old bike up and down the street and then helped my family pick peppers from their garden. Just now we ate dinner, and they served me a fruit called pharang (that's also what they call white people, because the fruit is white.) I said, "pharang eat pharang" and they all laughed. Then I held it to my skin and said "no-same." They thought that was hilarious.

We're making progress.


**The other day we went to visit a Buddhist monk, and he talked to us for a couple hours about Buddhism. It was fascinating, and he was so funny! He told us this story of when somebody stole his shoes, and instead of getting mad, he offered a prayer of gratitude that he'd been allowed to make an "unexpected donation."

Since my host family is Christian, and I was playing Christian hymns on the keyboard, yesterday they asked me to pray before the meal. My host mom said, "Thank Jesus?" And so I did...kind of.