During our trip to Bangmapha, my 2 teachers, ajan Chris and ajan Tanit would point out everything interesting about the farms we were in, even a green bean plant.
While we were in Bangmapha, we hiked like a couple of hours a day, either to limestone caves, or rock shelters, or ethnic minority villages. But in between, where there were still paved roads, we rode in the back of pick up trucks, haha. They go pretty fast.
The first village we visited was a Lahu village. They were mainly subsistence farmers, and the farmer showed us how he and his wife would start making the rice fields.
The Lahu woman wore a very interesting t-shirt... hehe.
In Bangmapha, we stayed at this guesthouse, and it was really nice because it had a river in the back. When we came back from hiking all day, this was where we went swimming. ^_^
This was the scariest thing I'd seen in Chiang Mai xD
A Ronald McDonald doing the Wai (Thai greeting)
It's really funny, but I never got sick eating Thai food here. I only had an upset stomach twice - once eating a cheeseburger from McDonalds, and another time eating Pizza at my teacher's house. Lesson learned: don't eat American food in Thailand.
This was where we stayed while in Bangmapha (Northern Thailand) for about 3 days, and then we did a homestay in a Lua village (an ethnic minority of Thailand) on the 4th night. These bungalows were pretty nice. It's owned by one of my Ajan's older sister.
When I got back from Bangmapha (northern Thailand), we got to go to a monastery and teach English to novice monks. Some of them were as young as 9 years old, and my group were the 14-year-old novice monks.
We taught them the basics like introducing yourself, names of food, body parts, numbers, animals, etc. I found out that in Thailand, women are never allowed to touch monks. So during Doi Suthep, the monk that blessed me wasn't supposed to put the bracelet on me. Only the guy sitting next to him could.
Part of the old town.
More durian!! =]
Taipei Gate as mentioned earlier. It's the gate that separates the Old Town Chiang Mai from the modern Chiang Mai. The old part of town in enclosed within the gate.
Doing the Thai greeting - Sawatdee Ka! ...only my elbows aren't supposed to be pointing out like that.
Missing momma!
When we were hiking up Doi Suthep, we ran into this O_O They're the bones of a dog with its fur all on the floor, but totally unmoved. Poor dog must have been lost in the woods.
During my first week, the local Thai students took us on a tour of the city, and then ended up at the North Gate Jazz bar. It was really interesting because the live jazz players used traditional Thai musical instruments and played some Jazz songs with them.
Some time during my 2nd week, it was my resident director's 51st birthday, and so he invited all the students to his birthday party - karaoke-ing at a restaurant, haha. He was really nice. He sang one Thai song, and the rest of the time, we all sang old American songs for him. I gave him a box of chocolates for his bday...that my dad gave me before leaving and told me to give to my teacher.
So also during my 2nd week or so, the school put on an "Amazing Race" scavenger hunt day for international students. They grouped us up and gave each group tasks to do around the city, with 500 baht (about $16) and a songtaew (covered-pickup truck that everyone uses to get around). This is my group doing one of the tasks - trying to light up a traditional lantern that's supposed to be lit up during the new year and is supposed to look like this
We attempted... and then burnt our lantern =P
A tuk-tuk! It's another form of transportation in Thailand. A little more expensive than songtaews though.
More pictures later! Probably when I'm back home xD
Peace. It's been fun.
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