I reached Thailand on Friday about 5 minutes past the time that I had predicted. I flew over the polar ice caps, had a brief stop-off in South Korea, and then landed in Bangkok at 11:45 pm on (their) Thursday night. Not knowing that there is a motel connected to the airport (which you can stay in on an hourly basis), I stayed awake on the fourth floor in a pub for 4 hours waiting for my next flight to Udon Thani. All of my flights went off on time and without a hitch, and I managed to sleep for a total of 4 hours . . . over two nights.

On the final bus ride to Openmindprojects, I finally got to actually see the countryside. It was definitely a little scary, because the poverty is so clearly evident and widespread. This was not a surprise to me, as this is exactly the reason I came to Thailand. What was surprising to me was that everything looked so classically Thai--yaks walking right down the side of the road with no fences, pick-ups packed with people/meat/fruit flying down the road, and even bent-backed farmers knee-deep in water with traditional straw hats. The motorbikers are crazy. Although apparently it's illegal in Thailand, many many people do not wear helmets. But that's not even the worst. They fly between trucks, pedestrians, and tuk tuks while talking on a phone or smoking a cigarette with no thought. Whole families pile onto bikes; I saw more than one child, no more than 2 yrs old, who were sitting in front of their father, with their tiny hands fiercly gripping the handlebars. It is a bit shocking. But I certainly believe the guidebooks that told me that the most dangerous thing about Thailand is the traffic!

Over the last few days I've been practicing Thai, learning about the culture, and doing a little sightseeing around the area. There are 10 other volunteers who arrived this week, and it's been quite exciting to explore the city together. So far I've taken the opportunity to try a few exotic foods--octopus, silk worms, and yes, even chicken feet (very very gross--I don't recommend it). I've taken some good photos, but unfortunately these computers don't have the capacity to upload them. But I will try to get them onto the internet next week.

My volunteering plans have actually changed. Originally, the organization had advised me to teach in NongKhai for 2 weeks so that I could get used to the culture and language. When I got here, however, I found out that the one other woman who is working in my town is going down this Monday. We thought it would make more sense to move south together so that we can experience the challenges together. The organizations said this would be fine, so I booked my flight for Monday morning tonight. I'm quite excited that I will actually be in the field for 6 weeks now. I hope it will give me a real chance to connect with the children.

So, I'm not sure what will be available in my new town. I am going to be working at the Ban Tha Din Dang school in Thaimuang, Phang-Nga province. Find it on the map!